


Gale Wings

by HybridDragoness



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sun & Moon | Pokemon Sun & Moon Versions
Genre: Alola-chihou | Alola Region (Pokemon), Angst, Canon Blending, Developing Relationship, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Illustrations, Memory Loss, Mental Health Issues, Mutual Pining, Original Pokemon, Original Pokemon Region, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Rating May Change, Slow Burn, Tags May Change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-14
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:20:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 28,568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27555229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HybridDragoness/pseuds/HybridDragoness
Summary: Alola has been peaceful since the dramas with Aether Foundation settled down, but just as Nanu thinks he can catch a break a new storm appears on the horizon. Unbeknownst to everyone trouble has been brewing in a distant region and its turmoil has begun to spill beyond its borders. When Tapu Bulu leaves a mysterious trainer in the kahuna's care, Nanu finds himself caught in the thick of it.And he thought the worst was over when he left Interpol.
Relationships: Kuchinashi | Nanu/Original Female Character(s), Kuchinashi | Nanu/Original Pokemon Trainer(s)
Comments: 117
Kudos: 31
Collections: AssuranceShipping (NanuxSiane) Fics





	1. Forecast

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's here. I bid you a warm welcome on this new and exciting journey.  
> Please know that tags are subject to change as this story progresses and I will also note before each chapter if there is particular content that may be confronting for some readers. Some tags relating to mental health are just general warnings because we all know our favourite cat-loving kahuna has some things he's dealing with.  
> With all that out of the way, I hope you enjoy.

* * *

There’s a storm coming.

It’s not the first storm of the season to hit Alola, but it’s definitely the biggest so far. Or at least, that’s what they’re forecasting on the news this morning. 

The meteorologist on screen gestures to the great twisting mass of cloud on the projection as she explains it gathering momentum over the seas to the south-east of the region. Should it continue on its path, the storm is expected to make landfall tonight.

Nanu sighs into his coffee mug. It seems his work is cut out for him today. 

Persian brushes her cheek against his arm, purring as Nanu reaches with his free hand to scratch behind her ear. 

“So much for a day off,” he remarks gruffly. Persian makes a noise in response; her dark eyes staring curiously. “Right, no rest for the wicked, ey Alpha?”

Nanu downs the rest of his coffee and turns off the television as he rises. He avoids the Meowth that have woken, cautiously weaving his legs around their numerous bodies as they yowl and reach for him. It’s a miracle he hasn’t stepped on one this morning, as they dart around eager for breakfast. 

“Alright, settle down you lot, food’ll be ready soon,” he chides. 

The kitchen sink is occupied by a certain jewel-eyed gremlin and Nanu is quick to lift them out.

“Creeps, what have I told you about chewing glass?” He asks as he deposits his empty mug beside the rest of the unwashed glasses. The sink is almost full and he’s close to leaving it that way until he sees Sableye gnash her teeth restlessly at the sight. He places her on the floor in a space between all the Meowth and sets to work on the chore at hand. Suppose there’s no time like the present.

He clears the mess but the feline horde is none too impressed by the wait and the cacophony grows. It hits a crescendo when he retrieves a bag of PokéFeed from one of the cupboards and he winces. When he looks up he sees Alpha standing at the kitchen threshold with a bemused twinkle in her eye. She turns and gracefully strides towards the sliding door that divides the living quarters from the rest of the police station. Nanu is right behind her as she pushes the door with her paw, opening the floodgates as all the Meowth clamber over one another to squeeze through to get to their bowls first. 

The lavender-grey feline waits by her bowl, head raised and chest puffed in a dignified pose. He serves her her portion before moving onto the rest. Bowl by bowl the room gets quieter until only the sound of ravenous munching remains.

At last, some peace. 

Nanu walks to the front most area of the police station where his other Pokémon are sleeping. 

“Morning Krooks,” Krookodile stirs at the sound of kibble filling his metallic saucer; his jaws drawn wide in a deep yawn. 

“Mini,” Absol elegantly makes his way off of the couch, stretching each leg as he approaches and shaking his fur.

Only Honchkrow remains asleep, breathing deep and emitting half caws upon exhaling. 

“Big Boss will miss out on breakfast if he sleeps in,” Nanu says pointedly, to which the corvid finally wakes. 

With everyone fed, he closes the bag and moves to store it away. He passes the station’s front counter and peeks at the answering machine. The lack of a red light brings the old cop some relief; that’s one less thing to potentially add to his long list of duties today. The thought of each task alone already incites the overwhelming urge to take a nap. He resists the temptation to go back to bed however, knowing that for once he can’t simply shirk his responsibilities. There are things needing to be done and moreover he’d be fucked being shut in from the storm without groceries.

But there is a positive to it all, he has to admit. While the preparations are tedious, at least it would be a guaranteed night of solitude. Maybe a few movies are on the cards tonight? Or even a good book - either will do, he contemplates. After all, until the bad weather passes there’d be no one to bother him. 

And that is something he could look forward to.

The late morning sun is warm when Nanu makes it out of the station. The grass and leaves sparkle brightly in the light and he’s surprised by how unprepared his eyes are for the sight of the blue sky overhead. What is generally seen as an unusual phenomena for Route 17, the old cop has lived here long enough to know that the perpetual rain had a consistent pattern of easing off before a big storm. Whether it was an ounce of benevolence on the part of the island’s guardian, or just mere climate science at play, he couldn’t say for sure. 

Alpha trails behind Nanu at an easy pace as they set off towards the great looming walls surrounding Po Town. The route is buzzing with activity as wild Pokémon emerge to soak up the sunshine. Swarms of Ledian hover around the blossoming flowers as families of Gumshoos and Yungoos weave through the tall grass. Up on the rugged ledges flanking the east of the road a quarry of Graveler busily forages the ground for minerals. And yet, somehow despite the number of Pokémon about, the walk is a peaceful affair as each creature is preoccupied enjoying the pleasant weather.

Before long he arrives at the entrance to the abandoned district; the doors of which sit ajar. Team Skull had long been disbanded but a few of its ex members still frequented their old hideout. After all, runaways always needed a place to run away to, whether there was an organised gang to take them in or not. While he knew better than anyone, that for some kids anywhere was better than home, he also knew Po Town was in too poor a condition to safely shelter them from a tropical storm. It was always a pain to try and convince the hooligans to leave, but the headache he feels from the mere thought of the amount of legal paperwork he’d have to sort through if any of them got hurt was far, _far_ worse. And so he presses on with Alpha at his side, examining each house that lines Po Town’s main road. 

He makes his checks thorough, knocking on doors and searching inside the buildings he’s able to enter. Where there are obstacles he sends Alpha in his stead, as her lithe frame is more capable of accessing the same nooks the kids were likely to use. Together they manage to sweep two thirds of Po Town in no more than fifteen minutes and it’s a relief to find everything is so far unoccupied. The Shady House takes the longest, but even the old Team Skull stronghold is abandoned. 

Nanu returns down the main road to check the last few houses when he spots something out of the corner of his eye. He approaches the property closest to the Shady House - a small shed-like structure with a hedged in yard, inside of which a yellow pickup truck sits rusting away. As he draws closer to the building he hears two hushed voices from inside. The roller door is only partially opened, but it’s high enough off the ground that a kid could easily slide under. 

Alpha glances up at Nanu with gleaming eyes and he can’t help but crack a smirk as he nods his head towards the door. With the affirmative gesture, Alpha’s whole body grows tense with excitement. She pounces forward and presses her sleek lavender body to the ground, slipping under the roller door in the blink of an eye. The sound of chaos isn’t far behind and it’s hard for the old cop not to have a little laugh as his Persian playfully chases the shed’s occupants. Within moments the teenagers emerge from the building one after the other, scrambling under the door like startled Rattatas. The first boy stops dead in his tracks once he sees Nanu, causing the second boy to run straight into his back. 

“Luka, what--?!” 

“I told you it was the old man’s cat, Kai!” The first boy, Luka, exclaims as he shoves the other. 

“What’s wrong with you, yo? Sendin’ your giant furball in ‘ta claw us up…” Kai grumbles, rubbing his sore arm. 

Alpha reappears from the shed, eyes twinkling with satisfied mischief as he comes to sit by Nanu’s side. He gives her a rewarding scratch behind her ear for her effort. 

“Just sweeping the premises, the usual,” Nanu replies nonchalantly. 

“Look, we ain’t did nothin’ wrong, yeah?” Luka says. His hands fidget to straighten his dishevelled skull tank top. 

“Never said you did.” 

“Ugh, so what, ya just came to give us a scare?” Kai interjects. “You that bored in retirement, old man?” 

The old cop scoffs and rolls his eyes, completely immune to this kind of banter at this point. He’s heard it all. 

“Not quite. A storm’s on its way,” He explains. The two boys exchange glances. “You two better clear off before it hits.” 

“What, do we look like babies to you?” Kai growls. 

“Yeah, we ain’t scared of no thunderstorms!” Luka proclaims with a beat of his fist on his chest. 

“Don’t have to be scared of something for it to kill you.” Nanu says flatly. His words deflate the teenagers’ bravado by a fraction. “Besides, I don’t fancy busting my ass trying to fill out the paperwork when you get flooded out, or when one of these darn houses inevitably collapses on you.” 

This is enough to completely defeat the teenagers and they sigh in shared exasperation. Nanu stands aside so that the boys can pass.

“Alright, we get it,” Kai concedes. He drags his feet as he walks by, stopping only briefly to ask, “Is that all ya wanted to breathe down our necks about?” 

“Yeah, make sure your friends don’t decide to show up here either,” He adds. “I don’t wanna have to come back and tell you twice.” 

“Ugh, fine!” 

The two boys jog off down the road - Nanu watching to make sure they actually leave Po Town before turning his attention away. Alpha trills inquisitively and flicks her tail as she looks up at him. 

“If you want to come back and chase them, be my guest; I haven’t got time to do that all day.” 

Alpha slowly blinks back at him, smirking in her own feline way. 

Malie City’s grocery is unsurprisingly busy by the time Nanu arrives. It’s a few minutes past lunchtime and patrons are scrambling to gather the last few essentials they need before the weather truly sours. It’s not chaotic persay; everyone is conducting themselves in an orderly fashion, but there’s a tense energy among them all. 

Was he out of milk? He thinks for a few seconds as he stares at the dairy fridge he almost passed by. 

Possibly. Small carton just in case.

Nanu frankly can’t wait to be out of the darn place. There’s too many people and too much noise, all set under the harsh fluorescent lights that buzz like a bass line to the chorus of human activity.

Oh, the frozen dinners are on sale. He adds a few to his basket. Not exactly the most nutritious of items on the food pyramid, but it’s quick and easy and Nanu hardly has the patience to make complex meals for himself these days. It’s only when Acerola visits that he at least tries to make an effort. 

“You still eating those uncle Nanu?” 

Such timing, Nanu muses as he glances down to the purple haired girl who’s appeared beside him. She’s looking a bit taller than before - he forgets how fast kids her age grow.

“Have you hired me a personal chef yet?” He replies with equal jest. The young trial captain rolls her eyes at him before she examines the items in his basket. He knows a well-intentioned lecture is on its way from the subtle way Acerola’s eyes scan over the products, scrutinising. 

“You should grab a bunch of Nanabs, they were looking really ripe today,” she says. To his surprise it’s a lot less direct than he’s used to from her. Normally she would talk his ear off on eating better and getting a well rounded diet and so forth. He knows it’s only because she cares, but he’s heard it so often now he swears he could recite her kind lectures in his sleep. But, not one to look a gift Mudsdale in the mouth, Nanu happily accepts the brevity of this exchange. 

Until Acerola spots the beer and makes a face that’s halfway between a smirk and a frown. 

Ah, here it comes.

“It’s not even Friday yet, uncle,” she half laughs.

Wow, two surprises in one day. Maybe he should buy a lottery ticket before he leaves.

“C’mon, an old man can have his vices,” Nanu sighs and ruffles Acerola’s hair. She squeals and swats his hands away and he can’t help but smirk. “The weekend might as well start early.”

Acerola isn’t entirely swayed - he can see in her eyes - but she concedes. 

The guilt that buds in his chest is small but nevertheless there, so Nanu opens the freezer door closest to him and fishes out a box of Avalugg Ice Cream Sandwiches. 

“There, you can have the same amount in ice cream,” He wagers.

Acerola’s eyes narrow but she’s smiling despite herself. He knows she’s old enough to know it’s a bribe and a pretty dodgy one at that. But he also knows how much her sugar highs can wear him out - so it balances out. Sort of. 

“Mmm, deal.” She accepts. “But you make your bed, you lie in it, okay uncle?” 

“Yeah, yeah, alright.” He tosses the box of icy treats into the basket. “C’mon, lets go, or we’ll be here all day.”

They move through the checkout after waiting in a small line for a few minutes. Nanu has carried more bags than this before but Acerola insists on taking the heaviest of the two. 

The sky is beginning to grow overcast as they step out of the store. A stiff and constant breeze is blowing in from the sea; a taste of what’s ahead in the coming hours. Nanu uses his ride pager to call for a Ride Charizard and the two wait off to the side of the road in the meantime.

“Everyone at Aether House hunkered down?” Nanu asks. 

“Sure are! How about you, uncle? Will the Meowth be okay?”

“They’ll be fine - this isn’t the first storm they’ve dealt with.”

An orange blur sails through the sky overhead and Acerola signals to it with a wave. The Ride Charizard swoops back around, gliding low before landing solidly on his two clawed feet. He greets them with a joyful rumble, lowering his body for easier access to his saddle. Once they settle into the saddle, the Charizard takes to the air with two forceful beats of his wings. 

The experienced Ride Pokémon makes for a smooth flight back to Route 17. In spite of the rising winds, the Charizard handles the gusts with graceful ease. While up in the air, they can see the gloom hanging on the horizon - an odious expanse of cloud blotting out the blue sky in the distance. It’s not long until they begin their descent and they land at the front of the police station. Nanu disembarks first, extending his arm once he’s grounded to help Acerola off. They offer the Charizard a few PokéBeans for his service before the Fire-type departs for his next job. 

No matter how many times he insists he’s fine, Acerola helps Nanu to put away his groceries. Together they make short work of the task, even with the Meowth horde yowling between their feet in excitement. She’s sure to give affection to each and every one of the Pokémon once she’s finished helping out, ensuring they’re all placated before she makes her way to the front door. 

“I’ll see you soon, okay, uncle Nanu?” Acerola says as she spins on her heels to face back at him. 

“That you will kiddo.” Nanu replies and ruffles her hair again for good measure. “Now go on, you gotta take care of the ankle biters at Aether House.” 

“I’ll do my best!”

“I know you will.” 

He watches her leave as she runs down the road towards Ula’Ula Meadow, waving his way instead of looking at where she’s going. She passes out of sight beyond the treeline and the greyness of the sky becomes much more apparent. 

Though it’s a silly thing to feel, the police station always seems a lot emptier without her. 

Nanu is comfortably rugged up on the couch when the storm finally hits. He turns the volume up on the television as the winds howl and rattle the window shutters. The rain is a constant rhythm of liquid white noise on the station’s roof. After a few more adjustments with the remote the sound is outcompeted by the movie that’s playing. Satisfied, he tosses the remote back on top of the coffee table and settles back into the couch cushions, resting his arm down on Alpha’s back. He sighs, content and a little sleepy, but determined to enjoy the downtime before he turns in for the night. 

He cracks open his third beer.

A rerun of the original Red Fog of Terror is playing on the screen. He’s seen it a dozen times, but it’s a Pokéstar Studios classic and an easy film to zone out to. He prefers this version to the recent remakes that the Unovan studio has been pumping out. Though the visual effects have aged poorly, there’s a strange and nostalgic comfort about the janky CGI that the newer movies lack. 

When the gooey red humanoid monster appears, Nanu is amused to remember the time he had found it slightly unsettling. The amusement rapidly simmers down as he sips from his beer bottle. He can see it for what it is, now that the lens of ignorance has long been lifted from his eyes. What was once a terrifying eldritch horror is now nothing more than a crude assembly of plasticine and paper-mache glued to a low-paid stunt actor, topped off with a quick splash of claret paint to really sell the look. It’s bitterness he feels now as he wonders how he had ever managed to have been perturbed by this. 

Alpha leans her weight a fraction harder on Nanu’s side. Even when she’s half asleep she’s still aware of the shift in his demeanour. He breaks from the spiral his thoughts had started to go down, looking to the Persian by his side and patting her reassuringly. 

All things considered, it has been a relaxing night. Even when the brutal weather makes reminders of its presence with the occasional flicker of the lights, the storm is rather uneventful. He doesn’t doubt, however, that there’ll be some clean up work to do around the island. 

It’s approaching midnight when the old cop finally decides to get ready for bed. He stands and stretches, hearing the knots in his back pop with relief. As he picks up the empty beer bottles and tv dinner tray from the coffee table, he sees that the Meowth in the room have all fallen asleep. The rest of his Pokémon are spread about the lounge space, still watching the movie. All except for Mini, who is staring intently at the door to the station. He thinks the Absol has just fixated on a tiny bug and continues to tidy up.

Nanu passes the station door but doesn’t see any insects. The hairs on his neck prickle; Mini is still gazing at it. He barely manages to suppress the rising concern as he discards his trash in the kitchen bin. He’s ready to dismiss Mini’s odd behaviour when the wilted flowers by the kitchen window stir. The flowers perk up suddenly - their blossoms blooming anew. Mini snarls.

Nanu’s gut drops and there’s a frantic scuttling of clawed paws on wooden floors. The Absol nudges the sliding door open with his horn and bolts through. Nanu follows him into the dark, unlit police station. The rain is louder than ever and when Nanu flicks the front most light on he sees it’s because the glass doors have been forced open with vines.

He’s met with the patterned stark red of Tapu Bulu’s closed shell as they hover in the foyer. Rainwater runs in rivulets down the deity’s armoured casing, dripping to the tiles below and forming puddles beneath their golden tail bell. 

Mini stands between them, his ruby eyes set on the looming guardian that has yet to make a move. There’s a million possibilities racing through Nanu’s mind as to what would bring Ula’Ula’s guardian deity straight to his doorstep at such a time, and none of them are good. He tries to quash the terrifying idea that an Ultra Beast could have prompted Bulu’s appearance tonight. He reasons that he would’ve heard from the Aether Foundation by now if a wormhole had a chance of spawning. It can’t be that. Arceus knows he’s had a gutful of that in the last year. 

Bulu remains still during this and Nanu begins to think the deity is just here on a whim. He wouldn’t put it past the Tapus to do that - they were after all whimsical by nature. Such are all Fairy-types.

Nanu’s patience is worn thin by his nerves. 

“So,” He starts, “to what do I owe the honour?” 

Tapu Bulu unfurls their shell in response. 

It’s almost a blur - a surreal waking dream of a moment - when Nanu sees a body fall to the cold wet floor. The guardian floats in place, pearlescent eyes unreadable but locked with their kahuna’s as he struggles to make sense of what the hell has just happened. 

“What have you done?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading...  
> It's been quite a struggle getting my writing energy back. After receiving an incredible amount of support from the oc x canon community and boundless love & encouragement from my dear friend Apharine, I can finally present to the world the beginning of this story. I hope that you will enjoy the journey ahead.  
> Until next time...


	2. Triage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back for another chapter, it's good to see you again!  
> A little Content Warning for small injuries, mentions of blood and speculations of crime. 
> 
> With that out of the way, I hope you enjoy!

* * *

The power flickers in the police station as the storm rages outside. The wind is gusting through the open doors, splashing rainwater onto Tapu Bulu and the woman they’ve dropped at Nanu’s feet. The deity floats idly in place as they stare down at the kahuna. There are many things he wants to say to the guardian, but he decides to reserve them for when the situation isn’t so dire. 

His first thought is that Bulu has brought him a corpse. From the way she’d limply fallen to the floor, he’s fully expecting not to find any vital signs, but as he gets closer he sees the slightest of movements from her breathing. He kneels beside her, pulling her dripping sienna hair away from her face. There’s a few superficial cuts on her freckled cheeks and across the bridge of her aquiline nose. Her eyes are closed - lashes fluttering periodically. 

“Why didn’t you take her to Malie City?” Nanu asks, looking up at the guardian. 

A deep rumbling resonates from Bulu’s chest. Their tone is calm and even. 

The vines holding the doors suddenly recede, causing them to slam shut. Bulu lays themselves on the floor, reclining on their side as they rumble again. 

Apparently, according to Bulu, there’s no real emergency. 

“This sure as hell looks like an emergency,” he growls back. 

Bulu resumes their grumbling but it quickly exceeds Nanu’s limited comprehension of the Fairy-type.

Mini pipes in with a few short barks and snarls. It’s a dialogue he’s much more familiar with and after a brief exchange between the two Pokémon, his Absol simply communicates ‘asleep’. This puzzles the kahuna even more.

He brings his attention to the woman just as she stirs. She doesn’t move much, merely bending her legs and shifting on her side. Her brows pinch a fraction and she sighs quietly. 

Tapu Bulu was right, or at least, she certainly seemed to be asleep. The result of a Sleep Powder perhaps? 

Nanu is quite familiar with the effects of sleep inducing moves on humans. He’s had many encounters in his career where people have been hit by a stray Hypnosis, or stood too close to a Grass-type shedding their Spore. Though Pokémon-induced sleep is harmless in and of itself, it isn’t like regular sleep that one could simply wake from with a bit of rousing; the attack must wear off first.

But, if that’s the case, it’s merely a waiting game and he has a lot less to worry about. 

Concluding it best not to leave her lying on the floor cold and saturated, Nanu calls his Absol over. Mini is at his side in a flash; alert and ready to assist. He helps Nanu roll the woman onto her back so that she can be lifted. As he scoops her up he notices the grains of sand sticking to her clothes.

Had Tapu Bulu found her in the Haina Desert?

He dares not to think of the possibility of her even being found in the Ruins of Abundance - the deity would not be this calm if that was the case. Regardless of which location she was in, neither of them are home to any wild Pokémon that can learn sleep-inducing moves - which leads into the concerning prospect of a trainer being involved.

It’s far too easy for Nanu to start spiralling down the path of speculation. He can’t tell if it’s because of old cop habits or because Alola has had little in the way of challenging investigations that he’s subconsciously looking for a mystery. 

Nanu is surprised by how little effort it takes to lift her off the ground. She looks to be almost as tall as he is but there is hardly any weight to her. He can feel that the rain has chilled her substantially - not quite hypothermic, but it’s a risk with how wet her hair and clothes are. Anything damp would be counterproductive to maintaining body heat and would have to be set aside. The crop jacket she’s wearing has repelled much of the water from her arms and shoulders, but her exposed undershirt and shorts haven’t fared well in the weather.

He carries her back towards the living quarters behind the station, scattering the curious Meowth that have woken from the commotion. Mini runs ahead, barking and alerting the rest of his Pokémon that have been waiting in the lounge. When Nanu arrives, his team has cleared the sofa, waiting at the edges of the room on standby. There’s already a clean towel in Krooks’s arms and Mini gestures with his horn to lay it out.

He places her down over the towel on the couch as his Honchkrow brings another over in his talons. He wraps the second one around her hair for the time being and sets to removing her saturated clothes. 

“Alpha, fetch the first aid kit,” he says while removing the long boots covering the woman’s legs. 

Alpha darts off, disappearing through the doorway in a blur of purple. She returns with the kit in her mouth and places it on the coffee table beside Nanu. He retrieves the emergency thermal blanket from inside the kit and tucks it around the woman’s lower half since there didn’t appear to be anything worse than a couple of bruises. 

Removing her jacket reveals several smaller grazes along her arms. He unclips the waist belt and shoulder harness, then peels off her damp black tee. There is a series of dried blood streaks on her left arm. Following the stains on her russet skin he finds them originating from a puncture on the inside of her elbow. He frowns as he notices a similar wound on her right. Each discovery pushes Nanu deeper into confusion.

Nanu hears Creeps’s frantic snuffling noises as the jewel-gremlin drags a heat pack along the floor. He’s rarely had to use the thing, but he’s glad he kept it. He takes it from Creeps, giving her a quick pat as thanks before placing the warm pack over the woman’s legs.

The Meowth begin to crowd around as Nanu tends to her injuries. The felines trill and chatter among one another as they watch. The bold ones jump onto the backrest of the couch for a higher vantage point, completely intrigued by the unusual event taking place in their home. One young Meowth gets too close, reaching to paw at the shiny thermal blanket. Alpha makes a warning grumble in her throat and the little one backs off.

“Thanks,” he says to her, not breaking focus on his task.

He finishes with the bandages on her arms and pulls the blanket up over her torso. Already there’s a warmer flush to her skin which is an encouraging sign. As he tucks the edges under her shoulders and begins to properly dry the water from her hair, the towel catches against something on the back of her neck. He feels a sharp bristle at his fingertips and upon closer examination he finds a metallic object embedded just under the surface of her skin. It comes free without much resistance and Nanu promptly treats the site with some disinfectant before sticking a gauze patch over it. 

He turns the metal piece over with the alcohol wipe in his hand, cleaning it off as he investigates. It appears to be a microchip; just over an inch long, rectangular and engraved with some kind of symbol in one corner. He isn’t going to have much luck discerning it without some glasses - such was the trouble at his age - so he sets the chip aside. 

With a sigh Nanu finally leans away, his eyes weary and back muscles aching. He glances over at the clock on the wall, shocked to find that it’s only one-thirty in the morning. With all the energy he’s exerted, he feels like it might as well have been four. 

He goes to hang up the wet clothes, wringing out the excess water in the bathroom before hooking them up on some spare hangers to air out. He can’t find any pockets and she didn’t have a Trainer Card on her person to identify her. And he’s presuming she’s a Pokémon trainer; her clothes had the kind of flair most Ace Trainers favoured. Moreover, her belt and harness had clips specifically for attaching Poké Balls. The fact she has neither ID nor Pokémon is deeply concerning. 

Was she mugged? Put to sleep by an attacker’s Pokémon, robbed of her belongings and dumped in the Haina desert? It’s a logical explanation, but it doesn’t account for the wounds in her arms or the strange microchip in her neck. 

By Arceus’s halo, he thought he left mysteries like these behind with his Interpol career.

The window shutters are rattling fiercely when Nanu returns to the living room. The downpour outside intensifies and the lights flicker again. 

He’ll have to call a paramedic, but he has the distinct feeling that the weather is too dangerous for anyone to come out, let alone carry a patient back to the hospital in Malie City. This also rules out driving his own vehicle, as the roads out here aren’t sealed and would be hazardous with all the rain.

“Keep an eye on her for me,” Nanu requests to his Pokémon, to which they all nod in affirmation. He catches Creeps eyeing the microchip on the coffee table and wisely chooses to take it with him. 

He walks back into the station, hoping to at least try and get a call out for when the storm passes. For some reason Tapu Bulu is still loafing about in the doorway. The deity rumbles in a rising, curious tone and Nanu is baffled.

“Since when did you care about people?” He snorts. 

Bulu doesn’t answer; their gaze unwavering. 

“She’s sleeping - like you said. There’s not much else I can do. If you wanted it off your conscience so badly, you should’ve gone to Malie City.”

The deity’s large tail bell chimes as they right themselves. They look at Nanu for a moment before turning away. Then, as mysteriously as they’d arrived, Tapu Bulu parts the door with summoned vines and silently departs. 

Nanu knows the Tapu are cryptic at the best of times, but after all that has taken place tonight he can only look on in frustrated bewilderment. He waves his hand dismissively towards the doors, his annoyance growing at the sight of the puddle of water the deity has left behind. 

He can deal with that later.

Nanu spends nearly a whole hour trying to reach the hospital in Malie City, but the interference makes the task near impossible. He places the phone down after another failed attempt and rubs at his eyes with the heels of his palms.

Even though the thunder is more distant now, the wind and rain is unrelenting. Nanu finds himself dozing at the desk, thoroughly worn out from the whole day. He startles awake when Alpha brushes her cheek against his side. She’s calm, asking for no more than a pat. 

“I’m getting too old for this,” He sighs to her. 

She chirrups back, slowly blinking her tired eyes at him.

As he runs his hands over Alpha’s soft fur, he remembers the microchip he had pocketed to keep out of Creeps’s reach. Fishing it out again, he flicks on the desk light for better visibility. He rummages for the reading glasses he normally leaves here, eventually finding them under a loose sheet of paper on the top of his file organiser. 

Alpha is equally intrigued by the shiny piece of metal so she lifts her front paws onto the desk to get a better view. 

The microchip is its own mystery. The purple casing is nothing remarkable, but the firm sharp filaments protruding from the ends are unusual to say the least. He’s never seen anything like this before and he briefly considers whether Molayne or Sophocles up at the Hokulani Observatory would have any insights. As he turns the device over, the light catches on the engraving he saw earlier. With his glasses on, Nanu can clearly see an S-shaped insignia, but much like the device itself, he doesn’t recognise it. 

Alpha meows at him in questioning.

“Your guess is as good as mine, girl,” He replies as he reaches for a pen and paper. Looking at the insignia, he roughly copies it out onto the page for a clearer reference for later. Alpha watches him with rapt attention, her eyes meeting his when he finishes sketching. 

“What?”

She’s smirking in her own way again; her tail swishing in wide arcs behind her. She yawns and Nanu can’t resist the urge to do the same. He should’ve been asleep hours ago. Thinking about how good it would feel to close his eyes is a dangerous temptation and he’s barely able to hold back from taking a rest right then and there.

But he can’t. Not when there’s someone he’s supposed to be watching over.

Perhaps some caffeine was in order. 

Yes, that will do the trick.

He slides the microchip into one of the desk drawers, removing his glasses and turning the light off. Alpha follows him back to the living quarters, her steps sluggish as she begins to succumb to her own weariness. She chirps around another yawn and Nanu scoffs.

“How do you think I feel?” 

The room is quiet except for the ambience of the rain. The Meowth have all returned to their various beds around the place; Krooks is curled up in front of the television while Mini is by the couch, both are dutifully observing their charge for any changes to her condition. He doesn’t know where Creeps has gone, but so long as she’s not up to mischief in here he’s not bothered. 

He prepares himself some coffee - instant because he hasn’t an iota of energy to brew anything better - and grabs one of the spare Meowth cushions to sit on by the coffee table. It’s piping hot so he sets the mug down for a bit, lest he scald his tongue. 

Thunder rumbles as the wind and rain oscillate in intensity. 

Nanu’s eyelids are heavy, but he can’t give in to it. He tells himself that he’s done stakeouts that have deprived him of more rest than this. He turns the tv on in defiance, tuning the volume down so it’s no more than a soft background murmur. 

He checks his mug. Still too hot.

He cycles through the channels, but either the programming has ceased for the night or the signal was too garbled to receive a clear picture. There’s a lot of static and image tearing. He flicks passed a foreign film and a few infomercials before giving up. He sighs, exhausted. Perhaps he could put on a movie that won’t put him to sleep? But that also meant getting up to reach the media player and right now that felt like a monumental effort. 

His coffee is still too hot. Why didn’t he put milk in it? 

Too tired - he’s missing steps in his processing. Rectifying this error was also too colossal of an effort.

He holds the mug in both hands, letting the warmth seep into his palms. He looks over at the woman lying on the couch; she’s breathing deeply, evenly. Her brows are no longer creased with unknown strain. 

It’s past two in the morning now. His thoughts slur. 

But this is nothing, he reminds himself. 

The wind howls.

This is nothing. 

His eyelids close. All he’s aware of is the warmth in his hands and the rush of falling rain outside.

Just a few seconds is all he needs.

He almost doesn’t hear the soft groan and he passes it off as one of the Meowths murmuring in their sleep. He hears it again, followed by the noisy crinkling of the foil thermal blanket. Nanu’s awareness kicks in and he’s just about ready to scruff whichever over-curious Pokémon has clambered onto the couch when he sees it isn’t any of the Meowth or even Creeps. 

Finally, she’s awake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading...
> 
> I've been enjoying getting into the groove of setting this fic up and I'm hoping I can stick to this good routine and have consistent posts for everyone. If you're new to Gale Wings or my content in general, I draw a lot of stuff relating to this story and its characters. All of it is available on my Twitter, Tumblr (HybridDragoness) & DeviantART (Hybrid-Dragoness) for you to check out, if you're interested. 
> 
> Until next time...


	3. Amnesia

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the story continues - it's good to see you again!  
> Small Content Warning for minor implications of Nanu's PTSD and some anxiety. 
> 
> Formalities completed, now let's go!

* * *

It’s been a few hours since Nanu received his ‘guest’ from Tapu Bulu and at long last she’s starting to wake up. 

She groans as she tries to sit upright. He can’t tell if it’s from weariness or pain, but she appears to be having some trouble. She pauses, resting back on her elbows as she moves to rub her eyes. She doesn’t even complete this as the gears in her head turn and she realises the situation she’s in. He can tell there is likely a myriad of thoughts flying through her head and there’s a good chance she will panic at any moment.

Nanu stands and she turns her head. Her blue-grey eyes are wide with confusion, staring up from under the mess of her fringe. He raises a hand in a placating gesture, but the tension that’s drawn in her shoulders doesn’t release.

“Easy,” Nanu starts, trying hard to muster a tone that’s neutral and calm. It’s either the exhaustion talking or he’s forgotten just how shit he was with bedside manner. “Not gonna hurt you, alright?”

She blinks sluggishly, but maintains her wary posture. He wonders if she’s having trouble seeing from the way she squints her eyes.

“Wh…” She struggles to get a word out; her voice coming out hoarse. As she tries to manage a ‘who’ or ‘where’ she begins to cough from the effort. 

She must be dehydrated. 

Nanu leaves to get a glass of water to remedy that dry throat of hers. His Pokémon are close at hand, watching and waiting in case they’re needed. When he returns, her coughing still hasn’t subsided and he starts to suspect a Spore attack is responsible for her condition. He knows even a small whiff of the stuff is enough to leave one’s throat feeling caked in dust. Moreover, Spore tended to have side effects when inhaled by humans.

He brings the glass towards her and she reaches for it rather desperately while simultaneously trying to bolt upright. 

“Hey now, take it slow! You’re gonna get a nasty rush to the head…!” He can’t get the words out fast enough before the poor woman nearly falls from the couch. He catches her with his free arm, fortunate to have not spilled the water held in the other. “Don’t be hasty - if you’re coming down from a Spore attack, you’re going to wind up hitting the deck trying to move that fast.” 

Nanu helps her to right herself and once he’s sure she’s not going to lurch sideways onto the floor, he brings the water to her again. 

Her hands are visibly trembling as she takes the glass so he keeps a firm hold on it until he is sure she won’t drop it. There’s a hint of suspicion in her eyes as she looks back at him, but it doesn’t linger for long. Her needs quickly override her caution. She drinks steadily, seeming to relish in it like she hasn’t had water in days. When she finishes she’s able to clear her throat without starting into another coughing fit.

“Where am I?” Her voice is weak and still rough around the edges, but it’s an improvement from seconds ago. 

“Po Town police station,” Nanu answers while taking the empty glass from her. He’s quick to catch the flash of unfamiliarity in her gaze, almost like she didn’t understand. So he specifies, “Ula’Ula Island.”

When even those words don’t click, a horrible sensation creeps down the length of his spine. 

It can’t be. 

Not another one. 

“Alola,” he adds. 

Her eyes grow wide again and for a few seconds she’s completely lost for words. 

“I… what?” She frowns, thinking deeply. The more it sinks in, the more she’s shocked. She shakes her head in disbelief. “That can’t be right, Alola is… Alola is a whole _ocean_ away.” 

That horrible sensation is forming a heavy weight in Nanu’s chest. It’s a fight to suppress the flurry of conclusions his mind is drawing. 

She can’t be. 

There was no sign — no warning.

“Where’re you from?” Usually Nanu can pin a person’s origin from the way they spoke, but so far he’s only able to interpret a very slight Kantonian - or possibly Johtonese - tone from her. Moreover, ‘a whole ocean away’ could be literally any other region in Alola’s surrounds. 

She’s quiet for a while and there’s a look in her eyes that Nanu can only describe as vulnerable. She pulls the thermal blanket closer to her body.

“The Aedis region,” she says softly. Nanu’s surprise causes him to lean back slightly. “It’s an island in the southern sea. D-do you know of it?”

“Yeah, I know of it,” he confirms. It’s not a region he hears much of these days; owing both to its remoteness and to the fact it’s a basket-case of a region. He’s only familiar with the place thanks to Interpol and the one case he’d dealt with there. It’s not a case he’d seriously committed to memory; after a decade the details are hazy. 

“How did I get here?” Her question intensifies the unsettling sensation that crawls over Nanu’s skin. 

“I was hoping you could tell me that.” He sits himself down on the coffee table so that they could speak at eye-level. “When you were brought in from the storm earlier you had nothing but the clothes on your back.”

He notices her fingers tighten around the blanket as the colour drains from her face. 

Nanu internally kicks himself. What a poor choice of words; now he’s given her the wrong idea. 

“Your clothes are hanging up to dry. After you came in looking like a drowned Yungoos, I didn’t want to take the risk of you getting hypothermia.” 

She seems to accept this explanation and she silently lets out a held breath, letting her shoulders sag a bit. Her freckled cheeks are more flushed now and she averts her eyes - looking instead at the bandages on her arms. She doesn’t ask about them, even as she turns her arms over to look at the full extent of the dressing. There are so many emotions passing over her at once, Nanu’s unsure whether to keep pressing her for answers. The nagging sensation under his skin urges him on. 

“What’s the last thing you remember, Miss...?” He hopes his tone conveys his query. He’s sure it hasn’t when she hesitates to reply - worrying maybe that she doesn’t even recall her own name. Then finally…

“Nahima,” she says. “Siane Nahima...” 

She goes quiet again; her brows furrow deeper as she thinks. The longer Siane spends contemplating the more Nanu’s dread grows; a wailing klaxon in his mind, louder and louder. He doesn’t realise he’s lost himself in the white noise until Alpha firmly brushes her cheek against his arm. His hand finds the fur of her neck and the vibration of her purrs bring him back to the room. When he glances down at his feline companion, she returns his gaze with firm reassurance. 

“The last thing I remember…” Siane begins, as if to remind herself of the question. “I had just gotten home - it was late and my Pokémon were asleep. I was going to go to bed…” Her eyes narrow. “There was someone at the front door… I was going to answer it and… that’s it. I don’t remember anything else after that.”

It’s no more conclusive of an answer and if anything it’s more worrisome. Nanu takes a deep breath and continues to softly pat Alpha. 

“Do you remember the date on that night?” He tries instead. 

Siane’s face lights up somewhat, enlivened by the fleeting joy of recalling even just one detail with certainty.

“Yes, it was the 6th of August.”

Uh oh, not good.

“What?” She catches his change in demeanour and her face falls. He wishes he wasn’t so tired - it’s affecting his ability to keep up a façade. “How long have I-”

“A while.” He knows she’s not going to like it, but she deserves to know. “Today’s the 28th.” 

Siane’s previous states of disbelief are unmatched by the expression that takes over. It’s like the wind has been knocked from her lungs and for a heartbeat Nanu thinks she’s forgotten how to breathe as she stares back completely frozen. She can’t form a sentence - struggling to make sense of the whole situation. Her hands tremble.

Alpha chirps at Nanu, recognising the emotional shift taking place, but there’s truthfully little he could say that would be of any comfort. There was a good reason he left sensitive moments like this for Looker to handle. That thought alone brings him on the verge of opening the mental floodgates and he’s grossly unprepared to be facing any of that right now. He’s busy trying to quash the memories that are bursting at the seams of his mind that he doesn’t think when he reaches out to her. 

“Hey, look at me,” he says, giving her forearm a gentle squeeze. The contact snaps her out of her daze and she turns to him; her eyes misty. “We'll get to the bottom of this, alright?”

Siane’s breathing comes shaky and a few tears spill over her lashes, but she holds herself together enough to gently nod her head.

“Alright…” She whispers. 

Nanu pulls his hand away now that he’s certain his message has gotten through.

“Is there someone you can contact in Aedis? Any family, close relatives?” 

“I’m not sure…” Siane fidgets her hands, occasionally reaching up to brush away any more tears that threaten to fall. “My dad passed away a long time ago and my mum… I don’t know where she is. We haven’t spoken for years.”

“What about friends?” Nanu asks, reaching for the tissue box that’s sitting on a shelf beneath the coffee table. He passes her a few. 

She looks sheepishly up at him, taking the offered tissues with one hand while reaching to scratch the back of her neck with the other. Her expression shifts momentarily as she feels the gauze patch and she recoils. She dabs away at the rest of the tears. 

“To be honest with you, I wasn’t in the habit of remembering their phone numbers...“ She breathes out in a short bitter laugh and scrunches the tissue in her hand. “Kind of dumb of me, really.”

Nanu doesn’t respond. He’s too busy thinking about the predicament before him. It’s problematic for sure, but not unheard of or impossible to deal with. He’ll have to contact the authorities in Aedis if he’s going to have any luck trying to help Siane get back home. 

The rain picks up outside as silence begins to settle between them; soft chatter from the television that’s been left on fills the void. He wonders if he’ll be able to reach the hospital now that the thunder has ceased. Then he realises he’s half seeking an excuse to not sit here feeling awkward not knowing what to say. 

“Gonna try call Malie City hospital again - get you looked at properly once the weather clears,” he declares while standing up. “Think you can sit tight?” 

She nods. 

“You need something, you give Mini a shout,” he instructs, gesturing to his Absol who is sitting patiently beside the couch. Siane glances over and seems to notice for the first time that the room is full of Pokémon. She pulls the blanket up again and he sees a hint of distrust under her awe, particularly towards Mini and Krooks. “They’ve got some mean looking mugs, but trust me, it’s just for show.” 

She still doesn’t seem convinced. 

Whether he’s still buzzed from the beer earlier that night or delirious from a lack of sleep, Nanu feels compelled to emphasise the point. She’s already feeling terrible, there is no reason to make her feel worse by thinking his Pokémon would bite her at any opportunity. 

Krooks makes a happy grumble as Nanu approaches. With a tiny twirling gesture of his hand the hulking croc rolls over belly-up. He rubs his foot along Krooks’s underside which earns even more joyful growls from the Pokémon. The big dope even flops his tail about, which disturbs some of the Meowth that are still sleeping. 

“See, completely harmless.” 

Siane’s eyes soften and her posture relaxes. She doesn’t quite laugh, but the tiniest fraction of a smile appears on her face and she exhales with some relief.

“Okay, I believe you,” she concedes. 

Point made, Nanu puts his foot back down and resumes his previous course of action, Krooks rumbling in disappointment. Alpha settles on the cushion where Nanu had been sitting before, opting to wait there while he went about making the phone call. 

“Oh, before you go,” Siane starts, her voice breaking slightly - throat perhaps still a bit dry. “I, um… I didn’t catch your name, officer...” 

Out of reflex he gives a dismissive wave of his hand. 

“Just Nanu is fine.” 

He never really liked titles anyway.

“Well… Thank you, Nanu,” she says earnestly.

What a weird thing to say. Well, he supposes it is a customary thing to say given the circumstances, but still. What else was he going to do? Leave her on the floor after Tapu Bulu left her there? 

By the time he catches himself lost in thought, too much time has passed to reply to Siane without it sounding strange, so instead he leaves the room. She doesn’t seem affronted by this, though, and as he begins to shut the door he sees her gingerly reaching her hand out to a Meowth that has trotted up to the couch. He’s glad that this Meowth is keeping a lid on their energy for once and now feels comfortable to leave Siane for the moment without having to worry about returning to absolute feline chaos.

It takes another two attempts before Nanu manages to reach the hospital. As he had predicted the weather was still too treacherous for them to dispatch a paramedic. There’s no choice but to arrange for one as soon as the storm subsides, but at least now it’s settled. 

And about damn time, too. Nanu can barely fathom his exhaustion when he sees it’s approaching four o’clock. He supposes now that Siane is more or less in a stable condition, he could squeeze in some shut eye. At least until the paramedic shows up during the day, that is.

His joints pop noisily in protest as he stands and walks back to the living quarters; the old cop really starting to feel his age. He’s halfway to speaking when he sees that Siane is already lying down on her side. One of her arms is tucked under her head while the other dangles slightly off the edge of the couch. 

Seems she’s fallen asleep again.

He’s not surprised - Pokémon attacks can knock one about, and after the ordeal she’s been through he can’t exactly blame her for feeling wiped out. He turns the television off and goes to pull the thermal blanket over her shoulders when he realises she would probably be fine with a regular blanket now. Leaving the current one would only cause her to overheat, especially once it starts to warm up in the morning. As he leaves to fetch a new blanket he thinks she could probably use a shirt too. Her outfit would definitely not be dry for a while and he knows it would be uncomfortable for her to be in an unfamiliar place in just her undergarments. 

Nanu finds a spare blanket in his closet that’s relatively clean from Meowth hair and bundles it under one arm. Finding a shirt is a much greater challenge though, as he ruefully remembers that he hasn’t gotten around to doing his laundry in a few days. After a bit of fossicking he finds a purple shirt in the back of the closet and decides it’s better than nothing. 

He returns, placing the folded shirt on the coffee table where she’ll see it and quietly swaps the thermal blanket out. The foil material is almost impossible to move stealthily, but Siane is so out of it that she doesn’t stir. 

As he stands back he hears a rattling come from behind one of the window blinds. When Creeps emerges, Nanu already has her Poké Ball in hand and recalls her before she can scuttle off under some furniture. 

“Think that’s enough mischief from you for one night,” he remarks. Ball in one hand, he retrieves the coffee he had forgotten - cold now - and empties it in the kitchen sink. He refills the glass he had for Siane and does a once over of the lounge room. The Meowth are already asleep and Krooks, Big Boss and Mini are settling down. Satisfied, he turns off the light and heads to his room. Alpha follows him like she’s sleepwalking and finds her place at the end of his bed. 

Nanu’s so tired he barely even processes his pre-bed routine, yet somehow he’s still mulling over Siane’s peculiar case. Not that he’s having particularly coherent trains of thought, however. The threads keep circling in on themselves and by the time he lays himself in bed they fall apart altogether.

Arceus, finally. 

He’s waited all day for this and for once he’s not even ashamed to think that.  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading...
> 
> The plot truly thickens! A new region? That's apparently not-so-great of a place? Hmm! Fascinating. What could it all be about...?  
> Tell you what, it's quite the change for me to go from never writing much at all to suddenly brain blasting these chapters out on a near weekly basis. Like I said before, I can't promise it'll stay this consistent especially now that my day job has finally called me back in. But I'm having fun and people's excitement has me even more excited to get this out into the world so, truthfully, thank you all for your support. 
> 
> Until next time...


	4. Tangled Feet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're back - hope you've all been well.  
> No major content warnings, just some brief medical discussions and health related topics.  
> Besides that, we should be good to go!

Nanu wakes to a loud crash out in the lounge room.

Darn Meowth, he thinks. Then he hears a pained groaning that definitely did not belong to a Pokémon. The recollection of the previous night hits him in a rush and he’s halfway out of bed before he’s even completely awake. Alpha is out the door in a flash and Nanu isn’t far behind her. 

Several Meowth scatter as they enter the room and he finds Siane on the floor barely propping herself up by her arms. Mini is close to her but is uncertain of what to do and barks at Nanu. 

When Siane tries to lift herself up any further she hisses in agony. He’s alarmed by the possibility that she’s more hurt than he had thought. 

“Stop, slow down,” he insists. Mini steps back as Nanu kneels to help her.

“I’m okay, I just fell,” she says, trying again to move but this time she yelps. “Ah, shit!”

“Just fell, huh? Where’s it hurt?”

“Everywhere.”

“Helpful.” He props her back upright against the coffee table.

“My legs,” she specifies. “I tried getting up, but— OW!” Nanu hardly recoils; still pressing around her left ankle that’s more bruised than before. It doesn’t feel broken, but she’s definitely done something to it. Could do with some ice. 

“Well, I’m no doctor, but you’re not paralysed.” He shoos away a Meowth that’s come too close.

“No, really? I couldn’t tell.” 

She meets Nanu’s gaze and although she still looks a bit rough there’s definitely a lot more energy in her than last night. He notices that she’s donned the shirt he had left for her. It’s a little long on her frame, but it was on him too when he wore it last. 

“Thanks for this, by the way,” she says, tugging at the top of one of the sleeves. Was he staring?

“C’mon. Better to be off the floor before the Meowth think you’re free real estate,” Nanu suggests. He loops his arm around her back as she places her own over his shoulders. He stands her up slowly, letting her lean her weight against his side rather than on her sore ankle. He sees her face pinch but she doesn’t cry out. “You okay?” 

“Y-yeah, it’s fine.” 

She doesn’t look fine. He’s about to bring her back to the sofa when he feels her hand tap his shoulder. 

“Wait, wait, wait,” she pleads. The urgency in her voice actually makes him tense up. “Before you sit me down - I…” 

She turns to him and he can see there’s some embarrassment in her expression. 

“I could _really_ use the bathroom right now,” she says, half squeaking as her face reddens. “Kinda why I got up in the first place…”

Oh. Of course. Right.

Nanu leaves Siane with some privacy once he’s sure she’s not going to fall over in arguably the most dangerous room in the house. Too many hard surfaces and sharp corners; his overactive imagination thinks of literally every gnarly outcome in the few seconds it took to take her to the bathroom. He orders Mini to standby, because while he doesn’t want her to have an accident, it felt a little invasive to be standing around waiting for her.

It’s nine’o’clock and the Meowth are overzealous as usual. He decides to hold off on feeding them, not wanting to be too far away if Mini hears something’s wrong. He nudges the felines out of his way as he goes to make himself a coffee. It’s like wading through a sea of cats, as each one takes a new position up in front of him after being nudged away, creating an endless wave as he walks. 

“You lot behave last night?” he murmurs. Their yowling remains the same high, pleading pitch and he knows they’re not listening. He passes Big Boss who is perched on the breakfast bar and the corvid croaks wearily to him - no dramas. “Good to know.”

He peeks out the window over the sink as he refills the kettle. It’s still raining, but the wind has died down significantly - only occasionally rising in brief gusts. If anything, it’s looking a lot like Route 17’s normal weather, which will hopefully mean the paramedic will be coming soon. 

The process of making his coffee feels more like sleepwalking. He’s subsisted off less sleep in the past, but he’s getting older now; his body struggles with pushing the limits. Maybe he can take a week off once this whole fiasco is over - pawn off the jobs to the rest of Ula’Ula-PD so he can hibernate. It’s a nice thought but it’s a pipe dream. Even if he does somehow manage to negotiate a holiday, he can’t simply put his role as kahuna on hold. There’s always something happening on the island that warrants his presence - even if all it is is trainers out on their island challenge. 

And there’s been quite a lot more of those lately. Ever since Professor Kukui set up the Alolan Pokémon League there’s been a steady increase in the number of trainers participating in the island challenge. It wasn’t necessarily a bad thing - the revenue from the influx of tourists certainly brought some much needed vitality to the local economy. In the last twelve months alone, Malie City had opened up several new stores and eateries to cater to the growing demand. 

Nanu just didn’t have the energy to battle every single jumped-up youth that came his way. All full of hot-air and unbearably self-important, it’s hard to take them seriously and not just end up trying to knock them down a few pegs out of his own cynical spite. So, he tests them a little - makes them run around Ula’Ula a bit doing whatever mundane task he can come up with, really try their patience and dedication before deciding if they’re worth the effort. 

It’s earned him an earful countless times from the other kahunas. Hala calls it a gross disincentive. Nanu calls it sorting the wheat from the chaff.

He sips his coffee and grimaces. It tastes like a punch to the face. It’s so bitter that biting into a Durin berry would almost be a more preferable experience. Seems he’d mistaken the tablespoon for the teaspoon. How annoying. 

Oh well, no use wasting another mug of the stuff after letting last night’s go cold. 

He hears the distinct sound of running water and turns as the bathroom door creaks open. Siane leans against the doorframe for support as she glances down at the Absol waiting for her. He sees that her knees are trembling as he gets closer - clearly feeling some weakness in her muscles. Siane meets his eyes and he catches the relief that passes over her as her shoulders ease. He wonders if she’s nervous about Mini.

“Thanks,” she says as he lets her lean her weight on his side again. 

Mini growls at the Meowth that are still trying to vie for Nanu’s attention and the horde scatter, allowing for an easier maneuver to the couch. 

“Are all these Meowth yours?” Siane asks as Nanu sits her down. 

“Sort of. Started off with a handful of rescues, then more just showed up after a while,” he explains. The Pokémon in question are keeping their distance but their attention is still squarely on the pair. “The sociable ones get rehomed; the others kinda come and go as they please.”

There’s an inquisitiveness to Siane’s eyes as they pass over the Meowth. 

“Do they have names?” 

He points out the largest four from the group. “Bravo, Charlie, Delta and Echo are from the first litter that have stuck around. Managed to find Foxtrot and Golf trainers, and the rest haven’t got names. Decided to leave that for their future owners.”

Siane pauses, thinking. 

“So what happened to Alpha?” 

Ah, observant.

Nanu looks over his shoulder and gestures with a nod to his Persian. She approaches with all her dignity on display as she takes her place beside Nanu. 

“Still here, as you can see,” he says as he gives his companion a scratch behind the ear. “Bit of a ring-leader she is; likes to boss them around.”

Alpha chirps matter-of-factly in reply, leaning into the affection being given. When Nanu looks up there’s the faintest of smiles on Siane’s face. She seems wistful about something and he’s thinking about asking when the station’s front door buzzer rings. 

“That’ll be the ‘doc,” he remarks. 

He leaves to answer the door, realising halfway that he’s still in his pyjamas but not caring enough about the fact to change. He grimaces at the puddle he’d forgotten on the floor and files a mental note to actually clean that up when he’s got the chance. 

The glass doors slide open and startle the brown-haired woman standing outside.

“I came as soon as I could, Kahuna Nanu!” The paramedic bows both in reverence and apology. Not that she’s been tardy in the slightest. She bends so far forward that her equipment pack nearly hits the back of her head. 

“Please, just Nanu is fine,” he insists, stepping aside to allow her entry. “Watch the puddle.”

“Call me Eadie,” she introduces herself while straightening her round-framed glasses. 

As she passes, Nanu motions to the special ride Charizard to follow. The Fire-Type chuffs with gratitude and tucks his wings in to enter the building. The great beast lets out a pleasant rumble in his belly, signalling his relief to be out of the rain.

Though he wasn’t before, he’s glad now that he didn’t decide to mop up the water as fresh droplets fall from both the Pokémon and Eadie’s gear.

“How is the patient? You said she was caught out in the storm?”

“Seems like it,” he nods and leads her towards the living quarters. “Thought she might’ve been hit by a Sleep Powder, but she was out for a couple of hours and there are some injuries that are too precise to have been made by a Pokémon.” 

“Are you saying someone might have attacked her?” Eadie inquires, her voice peaking with a hint of incredulity. 

For a split second Nanu wonders what’s so surprising, considering her field of work - but then in retrospect violent crime wasn’t exactly commonplace on the islands. Sometimes he forgets just how peaceful Alola really is.

“Can’t be certain yet. Her memory is patchy - last thing she remembers was nearly two weeks ago.” He slides the interior door open and lets Eadie enter first.

“Mm… Well, I’ll see what I can do,” Eadie says thoughtfully. 

Siane is sitting upright with an attentive expression when Eadie approaches, but she’s not too uneasy. Nanu decides it’s best to leave the room while she’s being examined, opting to feed the Pokémon and clear the room of any distractions. 

Coaxing the Meowth out is an easy enough task when they’re hungry. They stream out into the station, lining up by their bowls like rowdy soldiers. He’s got time on his hands, so he makes no rush out of feeding them - inspecting the felines as they eat while he finishes off his terrible coffee. 

The original crew of Meowth seldom needed much caring for - they were mature and independent enough. He focuses more on the younger Meowth in his custody, because while they were quick to come to him for a meal or some playtime, they were more skittish about having any injuries treated. Such is the nature of strays. 

But, nothing is amiss and Nanu finally gets around to mopping the mess in the foyer. He collects up the papers that had scattered the night before and neatens up the stacks on his desk. It’s not much, but it already feels like he’s completed a monumental task for the day.

He sits himself down in his desk chair, leaning into the backrest with a sigh. No messages on the answering machine yet. No doubt, however, after the storm there would be plenty of clean up to do around the island. 

What a hassle. 

It isn’t too long before Eadie emerges from the back, her equipment in tow. 

“How’s it look?”

“Well, she’s a bit rattled - but I’m not surprised given the circumstances.” Eadie pulls out the notepad from her breast-pocket, the notes on which are unintelligible to Nanu at a glance. “She’s not showing any signs of head trauma, though she hasn’t been able to remember much more since the 6th. We’ll need to run some more tests to be absolutely sure there’s nothing else that could be wrong. But besides the injuries you’ve mentioned and a sprained ankle, she’s stable, if a little thin. I’ve taken some blood samples for examination, but anything else will need to be done at the hospital. 

“There’s been a few incidents since the storm, but I’ll phone ahead and have them arrange space for Siane if you’re able to bring her in later today.” She flips the notepad shut.

“What did you make of the marks on her arms?”

“It definitely looks like she’s been on an IV recently,” Eadie answers with sureness. “I don’t want to make any assumptions, but if I may, kahuna, it’s plausible that her inability to recall the last two weeks could be because she’s been put under for that time.”

That doesn’t make things clearer in the slightest. He has more questions now than before.

“And if that does turn out to be the case, I’d suggest not feeding her anything too substantial until we can have a more thorough examination in Malie City,” she adds quickly.

Nanu nods, though his pensive expression remains. His thoughts are all over the place - wild with speculation. He digs the microchip out from the desk drawer and holds it in his open palm towards Eadie. Her brows raise in curiosity as she pushes her glasses back into place and leans in for a closer inspection. 

“The wound on Siane’s neck,” Nanu elaborates, “had this embedded in it. Does it look like anything you’d recognise?”

She frowns, but it’s not out of unfamiliarity. 

“I want to say that I have, but it’s not coming to me,” she confesses and smiles apologetically. “I’ll ask around at the hospital - I have a hunch that someone will know what it is.”

“Thanks.” 

Nanu returns the device to the drawer and leads Eadie and her ride Charizard to the door. Fortunately the rain hasn’t picked up much more and it’s just bearable enough for the Pokémon to take flight. He sees the young paramedic off and gives Route 17 his first cursory glance since the storm. 

The paths are a mess for sure, muddied and scattered with plant debris and odd pieces of trash. There are quite a number of trees missing their branches, some are on the verge of being totally uprooted, but nothing has fallen over the road or damaged the pavement. It’s a small relief - there’s that much less work to do.

Nanu ducks back indoors for the time being. After all, there is still plenty of the day left to dedicate to clean-up and right now he has bigger priorities. Namely breakfast. 

Siane is still sitting on the couch when he gets back, a neutral expression on her face as she fidgets with her hands. Her legs were raised up onto the coffee table; Eadie had bandaged her sprained ankle and left a small ice pack to help with the swelling. When she sees Nanu, she’s alarmed - probably conflicted about whether or not having her feet up is going to come across as rude. Not that he cares - he puts his feet up on that thing all the time. 

“How’re you feeling?” He gestures to her ankle. She appears to catch on to the fact he’s unbothered by her choice of foot-rest and relaxes slightly.

“Better,” she admits. “I’m just glad I didn’t fracture it.”

He doesn’t know what to say to that. He’s not much of a conversationalist; in fact he actively avoided it wherever he could. Normally he didn’t feel affected by the silence of dodging social interaction, but for whatever reason he was feeling awkward about it right now. Like he _should_ say something. 

Maybe he should go get his head examined. 

Out of habit, he rubs the back of his neck and averts his eyes. 

“Hungry?” 

Siane perks up. 

“I’m starving,” she confesses as she exhales. “Though, Eadie said I should probably take it slow with the food…” 

“Mm, wise if you’ve not been eating in a while. Could have some serious side effects.” 

He decides not to go further on that. He’s sure that Eadie would have given Siane the rundown of her current condition, and discussions of mortality aren’t exactly good breakfast topics. 

“Think you’ll survive with toast?”

And on mentioning topics to avoid, he of course forgets how hard it is to not automatically insert subtle gallows humour at nearly every opportunity. Lucky for him, Siane doesn’t react negatively to it and she breathes out in a sort of short laugh.

“Don’t really have a choice, do I?” She brushes a strand of her hair behind her ear. “I’m sure I’ll cope. Thank you.”

She doesn’t need to say that, he thinks. It’s his duty as a police officer and the island’s kahuna, in the end. 

He gets to work on preparing something. All the while, some of the Pokémon have come to join them from the station, no longer wanting to be cooped up in the other room. As he pops the bread into the toaster he notices how Siane tenses up again in their presence. Even after he’s gone through the effort to show that his Krookodile is a big baby, something clearly bothers her about them. But then, as Big Boss resumes his roost on the breakfast bar, Siane’s eyes are drawn to the corvid with a different kind of attention. After a moment of observing her, he’s curious enough to seek an answer.

“You still nervous about them?” 

She jolts a little, like he’s snapped her out of a trance with his words.

“Oh, no. Well, not really,” she replies, somewhat flustered. “I’m not used to seeing so many Dark-Types, that’s all. They’re um... sort of, I guess, banned in Aedis.”

“Oh?” 

The toast springs up with a loud snap. 

“Yeah, the government put a tight restriction on them a few years ago,” she explains. Her words are spoken so naturally, like it’s a totally normal thing - but for him it’s a rather outlandish concept. He wonders why he’s never heard of such a law until now. Then again, Aedis was a nefarious region that the wider world tended to ignore. He lightly butters the toast as she continues speaking. “Aedis has a lot of endangered wildlife. Many species have suffered from the introduction of foreign Pokémon over the years, especially from Dark-Types like Liepard and Drapion. They decided that it’s for the good of the environment that they keep an eye on what people bring in.”

“And how did that go down with everybody?” Nanu can’t imagine that such a restriction would’ve been accepted so readily - even in the plight for environmental conservation. Siane’s brows quirk in slight confusion, not understanding the reason behind the edge in his voice.

“People _are_ okay with it,” she says firmly, “and it’s not like we are completely forbidden from having Dark-Type Pokémon. You only have to request permission to catch or breed them. It’s just to make sure trainers aren’t being irresponsible. Is that… strange?”

Nanu makes a noncommittal sound in response. It wasn’t strange in that it didn’t make sense, because it did. He knows that almost every region has a system of monitoring the Pokémon being brought in from overseas. Furthermore, protecting the local environment is a perfectly justifiable rationale behind the decision. There was just something off about it being so type specific. Dark-Types can certainly be dangerous, but so could all Pokémon; aggression isn’t an exclusive trait.

As Nanu walks out of the kitchen area - plated food in hand - Siane sits further upright, looking almost as though she wants to stand. 

“Do you mind if we sit up there?” She queries, pointing towards the breakfast bar. 

“Shouldn’t you be keeping that ankle of yours raised?” He rebuts and raises a brow at her. 

Siane shrinks at this, biting the inside of her cheek. Her eyes flick back over and he realises she’s actually looking at Big Boss rather than the stools by the breakfast bar. After a second of internal warring, she deflates, leaning back to put her legs up once more. 

“What’s got you so interested in my Honchkrow anyway - besides being restricted in your region,” Nanu tries instead while offering a plate to her. 

Her eyes grow wide and she almost looks like a kid who’s been caught with their hand in the cookie jar. She takes the offered plate gingerly.

“Oh um.” She casts her gaze off to the side momentarily, then brings herself to look back at Nanu. There’s a light in those blue-grey eyes she’s desperately trying to conceal - some kind of excitement simmering just beneath the surface. “I like birds. Most of my Pokémon are birds, actually...” 

Then in a heartbeat that hint of wonder that’s coursing under her thin veil of emotional reservation disappears. He knows she’s thinking about the whereabouts of her Pokémon. Having no leads on that, Nanu can’t think of any words to offer her. He always felt it was hollow to say things will be alright repeatedly, especially when there’s little to indicate there will be a positive outcome on the horizon. So while it feels awful, he chooses to say nothing.

Siane slowly eats her food as the silence settles in and Nanu does the same. A few Meowth come to join them, winding their way around his legs as he sits on the coffee table. He pets them with his free hand as they pass, holding his palm steady so that it runs down the length of their backs and over their curled tails. This starts up a soft symphony of purring around them and Nanu can see some warmth coming back into Siane’s demeanour. She reaches out to the Meowth closest to her, but it’s nervous about getting any closer. She doesn’t take offence when it chooses to curl back around Nanu’s leg. 

Their eyes meet and Nanu can see that she looks like she’s about to say something, but at the last second decides against it. She finishes off her toast and gently brushes the crumbs on her face onto the plate. Having also finished, he retrieves the plate from her and goes to wash them. 

“Thank you,” she says again. She pulls her legs in; feet to the floor so she can reach to scratch at the bandage around her ankle.

“You don’t have to, y’know,” he insists quietly. “Thank me, I mean.” 

He turns around when she doesn’t reply right away, expecting to see confusion but instead she’s looking dazed and unfocused all of a sudden. It’s almost like she’s about to pass out. 

And she does. 

He’s close enough to the breakfast bar to drop the plates onto it instead of the floor, and he rushes to catch Siane before she falls too far and hits her head on the coffee table. Alpha reacts quickly and steps between Siane and the edge of the table - making for a softer landing than the glass-topped surface. Before she can fully slump to the floor, Nanu gets a secure hold of her and lifts her back up onto the couch, sitting her upright as best he can. Her body is completely limp and her head drops forward slightly.

“Siane?” He calls her but she doesn’t respond. Then after about ten seconds, as abruptly as it happened, she blinks open her eyes. 

“W-what happened?” Her voice is strained - like she’s just woken up from a nap. There’s a weariness in her eyes again and Nanu begins to worry. She’s barely holding herself up even as he holds the front of her shoulders. 

“You fainted.” At least, that’s what it looked like. “We better take you to the hospital.”

Eadie may have recommended they come in during the afternoon, but frankly Nanu didn’t want to wait. For all he knows, Siane might not even last that long. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading...
> 
> I've been a little busier with school stuff and work, my brain is suffering. I'm not sure how well I'll be keeping up this weekly update routine, as you can see I've already started to slip. But that doesn't mean my interest is slipping! I've got lots planned for this and I'm eager for you all to come along for the ride.  
> Just as things seem to get better they do a 180-turn! 
> 
> Until next time...


	5. Anticipation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the slight delay on this one! Class held me back quite a bit but now it's all out of the way. I wanted to take the time to thank you all for sticking by, reading, commenting, leaving kudos... I truly wouldn't be here continuing if it weren't for you all! So thank you!
> 
> Some minor warnings in this chapter for some disassociating, surface-level medical talk & bits of PTSD/anxiety.

The next thing Siane knows is that she’s sitting in the passenger seat of a car. Every muscle in her body is so heavy - so _weak_. She struggles to keep her head up and her eyes refuse to stay open. It’s somehow an even greater effort to shift her legs so that they don’t lie uncomfortably open as she sits almost ragdoll-like in her seat. 

The dots aren’t connecting in her head; she can’t quite comprehend how she’s made it from the couch to the car. 

Siane reels her thoughts back, trying to recall what’s transpired in the last few minutes. For a moment she thinks she’s got it, but then she pauses. She feels like she’s mixing up an old memory with the present; the passage of time liquidating more and more. But she doesn’t feel any pain; no rushing survival instinct, nothing. 

She turns her head at the sound of the driver’s side door shutting, watching the older man as he buckles himself in. She takes into account his greying hair; the sharp lines of his furrowed brows; the fierce red of his eyes. A part of her can’t help but think that she’s seen his face somewhere before, but that can’t be right. It’s a trick of the light, she tells herself; a sentiment conjured by her delirious state. It’s no different to the way dreams create people that seem like lifelong friends, but in reality have never existed. 

Siane is still locked in her memory from when she was nineteen; being carried to the hospital by a man she never learned the name of, with a bullet in her right shoulder from a poacher’s gun. It had been a reckless act to protect some wild Pokémon which resulted in an unnecessary injury and a permanent scar. But she would never regret it, even if no one had been there to help her and she succumbed to blood loss. Saving those Pokémon would always be worth it. 

She catches herself mentally spiralling. 

There aren’t any poachers or gangs now, no. She’s in Alola on Ula’Ula island - oceans away from her home in Aedis. 

The man is talking to her but she’s not focusing on what he’s saying. The words are going in one ear and out the other. It’s a terrible thing, Siane laments a little wearily. For all his generosity she can’t even muster the strength to listen to him properly.

He has a name, she repeats in her head for the umpteenth time.

His name is Nanu. Officer Nanu. A strange man with many Pokémon living in his home, with a family of Meowth named after the phonetic alphabet. What a funny quirk. Officer Nanu who has carried her all the way from the couch to the car, she realises. It’s less a bright epiphany and more a dim recognition of circumstance - echoing in her brain that can’t seem to maintain a coherent train of thought before it derails.

She feels bad; it must’ve been a burden to carry her so much. 

Siane feels the inertia now; they’re driving. The car’s engine rumbles under the low sound of the radio and in its own way it starts to sound like a lullaby. 

She is exhausted and she can’t fathom why. She slept so well the night before, despite everything that’s happened to her. She’s certain she would’ve been overwhelmed by her panic and been unbearably restless that night, but one moment she was trying to coax a curious Meowth over and then suddenly it was morning. Siane ruefully considers whether she ought to have the right to feel surprised about this. She can’t even remember how she got to Alola in the first place, let alone recall the apparent two weeks that have gone by since her most recent memory.

All of it is slipping away. Time is becoming a nebulous, unknowable thing - gliding through the minuscule gaps between her fingers, escaping her faster the more she tries to grasp it.

The blur of tropical greens is replaced with open sky and rugged slopes that twist and converge high over the landscape. A great mountain rises outside of her window, capped white with snow. The sky is so blue above its frosty peak it doesn’t look real. It’s like she’s caught in liminality - locked between waking and sleeping with no way out.

She’s so tired - tired of being lost, confused. Helpless.

Her lashes flutter and Siane wonders if she even woke up at all. 

“Hey, stay with me,” Nanu urges, reaching over with one hand to squeeze Siane’s arm. She’s dozing off again and he can’t let her, lest she never rouses again. 

She blinks and shakes her head like she’s trying to rid herself of her fatigue.

“I’m sorry,” she breathes her words out. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me…” 

He doesn’t either, but whatever’s going on he’d prefer it if she didn’t suddenly lose consciousness again. He has to keep her talking. They haven’t much further to go - the roads have been astonishingly clear for the most part. He’s expected the mountain road to have sustained more damage from the storm, but a few loose boulders on the edges of the bitumen are the worst of it so far. And if that’s truly all there is to worry about, Malie City would only be a few more minutes away.

So what the hell does he get her to talk about? 

“Tell me about your Pokémon.” It’s the first thing that comes into his head, but it’ll have to do. “You said they were birds.”

Siane makes a soft ‘mmh’ in affirmation, but doesn’t say anything further.

“What kind?” He presses. 

Arceus, what he wouldn’t give to never be the carrier of small talk ever again - even if it is for emergencies. 

“Big ones,” she finally says. “A Braviary, a Talonflame…” 

“What else?”

She’s silent and after a few more seconds Nanu glances over to her. He gives her shoulder another squeeze when he sees her nodding off again.

“Bongo,” she yawns out. 

Bongo? That’s not a Pokémon - at least as far as he knows. Thankfully he doesn’t have to ask. 

“He’s my Dodrio… I also have a Fearow.” In his peripheral he can see that she’s looking at him. “Did you know that Dodrio and Fearow look different in Aedis?”

A memory tickles the back of Nanu’s mind. He does remember something vaguely about that from the one case he had in the region; something about their unique feathers. Luckily he doesn’t have to draw the conversation out much longer as they begin to pull into Malie City. The hospital isn’t too far and very soon he’s parking right outside the doors to the ER. 

Siane is more alert when the hospital staff come out to them, but she’s unable to stand up. She wasn’t able to earlier either and Nanu had no choice but to carry her to the car. He’s almost thankful his Pokémon have kept him somewhat in shape with their rambunctious ways, otherwise he’d have no idea how he would’ve managed that whole manoeuvre. The intrusive thought of dropping her is unusual to him in how terrifyingly unpleasant it feels and he snaps his attention back to the present to avoid thinking about it. 

After this morning, the staff are expecting them. Already aware of some of the details, Nanu need only fill one of the nurses in as to what’s just taken place whilst the remaining staff help Siane onto a stretcher. This nurse is older than the rest of her crew, with blue hair tied in a tight bun; her eyes weathered with experience but still filled with tenderness. She seems satisfied with Nanu’s report, noting it down for their reference.

“We’ll keep her overnight for observation while we run some tests,” she says. “Does she have any family that can be contacted?”

Nanu shakes his head. “Currently investigating that.”

“I see.” She smiles somewhat sadly. “In that case, we’ll contact you with the results then, kahuna?” 

He nods in reply. There’s no other option really.

Siane is watching him as they begin to take her indoors. He can’t leave the car parked in the ER’s driveway so there’ll be no following her. The bustle of the medical staff around them softens to an indistinguishable drone as he notices that she looks scared.

“They’re gonna keep you overnight; find out what’s wrong,” he repeats to her. “You’re in the safest place you could be.”

She processes this and lightly nods. The fear is still there, but her gaze is full of trust and faith in his words. As she’s whisked away inside, Nanu feels a knot in his gut; radiating cold tendrils that chill his very bones. A tiny whisper in the back of his mind says he shouldn’t be allowed that trust. Not since he’d failed to uphold it once before.

He can’t stay here. He needs to leave before memories of that Faller can take hold. He thinks about heading straight back to the station, but perhaps a drive would help clear his head. 

It’s not a bad idea - he’s brought Big Boss and Krooks in their Poké Balls and he can survey the island while he’s out. Flag any potential damage on the routes to be attended to by the local clean up crews. 

For once, work will be a good distraction.

Siane is shocked by how coherent she’s managed to stay in the last few hours since arriving at the hospital. She’s gone from hardly staying awake, deflated and feeble to feeling uncomfortably wired and restless. She tries her best to keep still so that the nurses can do their job. 

After an initial assessment, they find that she’s a lot better off than they anticipated. Remarkably her condition is stable. They read over the notes from the check up with Eadie that morning and ask Siane a few questions. There’s some back and forth for a while until they’re thoroughly stumped by the results being as normal as they are. 

When weighing her for their records, she confirms for them that she has lost a few kilograms since her last recollection. To add to the mystery, there’s nothing in her blood test to suggest any significant nutrient deprivation. While the numbers are on the lower end for a healthy person, it’s not enough to cause her to lose consciousness or experience this kind of muscle weakness. 

When they ask about the possibility of her being in hospital prior to arriving in Alola, Siane has no answer for them. Anything could have happened in that blank two week period. The marks in the arms bring them to the consensus that she’s been on some kind of intravenous setup and that it’s likely she was sustained by it, but it’s purely speculation that still leaves plenty of other questions unanswered. 

In the end, they issue some more tests, along with an MRI scan to rule out any sort of head trauma for good. Once it’s over, they bring her into a small room some floors up in the building. It’s private and relatively quiet compared to the other wards she’s been wheeled past. The hospital bed leaves a lot to be desired in terms of comfort, but she’s glad that it’s near the window at least. 

It’s a big window too; three glass panels that take up nearly two-thirds of the whole wall. She need only lean a fraction to get a view down at the city. She isn’t able to look for long though, as the nurse comes around to finish hooking her in.

Siane watches as the nurse removes the bandages around one of her elbows; the small puncture wound there is surrounded by a dark, mottled bruise. For some reason, seeing it makes Siane’s heart pound and it hurts when the nurse attaches her to the IV. She’s a little embarrassed when the machines kick into gear and her heart rate reads over 150bpm. She’s been fine the whole time, so why now over the sight of the mark, she wonders.

The blue-haired woman attending the device makes a perplexed face and looks down at Siane, tapping her pen against her clipboard thoughtfully. 

“Not feeling any pain, dizziness or shortness of breath, are you?” She asks. 

Siane feels none of those things. If anything she feels acutely aware of how alive she is, like she could climb out the window, scale down the building and run a few blocks through the city. 

Where the hell is this instinct to flee coming from?

“I think I’m just nervous,” Siane replies sheepishly. “I dunno why. I’m not normally nervous about this stuff. About hospitals, I mean.”

The nurse resumes whatever checks she was doing, jotting down notes with a few decisive pen strokes before turning back to Siane with an easy smile.

“From what the kahuna has told me, you’ve been through quite an ordeal,” she remarks. “Try to rest. We’ll take care of everything.”

Siane is puzzled. She’s heard a few people refer to Nanu as ‘kahuna’, but she has no idea what that is or what it means. Is it some kind of title? Or is it just something people in Alola call figures of authority? She’ll have to ask about it later; the nurse has already left the room. 

She lets out a sigh as the tension in her body releases. It’s quiet now, save for the soft beeping of the machines beside her and the distant sound of activity in the corridors. She shimmies herself into a more comfortable position on the firm mattress, leaning just enough to the side so that she can get a proper look out the window. 

Siane would never have guessed there’d been a storm the night before. The sun is so warm and bright and the sky is almost totally free of clouds. Sunlight bounces off the golden trims of the numerous green-tiled roofs down below and her eyes follow the grey stone roads that separate the city blocks. She admires the gridded layout of the streets, zigzagging her gaze through the city until finally her sight settles upon the azure expanse of the ocean. 

Then she sees something brilliant; a massive verdant lot filled with trees, ponds and speckled gradients of what must be flowers, all surrounded by what appears to be a wall. The area is quite far away and extends beyond the view of her window, but from what she can make out, there’s a tiered golden tower situated amidst the greenery. 

Siane can’t help but stare in breathless awe; her heart swells at the sight. A small rush of inertia jolts through her muscles and she feels the need to launch herself to take flight. 

Flight. 

Her excitement extinguishes. 

What’s happened to her Pokémon? 

She remembers Nanu saying she had no personal belongings with her when he found her and a sickness settles in her gut as she considers whether they’ve been stolen. But what if they haven’t been stolen? What if they were lying somewhere, lost and undiscovered. Are they afraid? Are they wondering whether she’s decided to abandon them? Siane’s eyes begin to sting, her worry turning into dread when she realises the Pokémon she’s left at home have been without her for two whole weeks. Some of them may have been able to fend for themselves, but there are several rescued birds that needed proper care. 

She doesn’t want to cry, but it’s fruitless to try and keep the tears in. She tries to do it quietly. 

But oh, by the _stars_ , she’s left them to die all alone, scared and pondering why she’s deserted them. She chokes back on a sob, mentally scrambling for anything that will abate the despair swallowing her. 

Surely her friends will have noticed her absence and have checked her Pokémon? Once they discover she’s not there they’ll be looking for her too, and with Nanu reaching out to make contact with Aedisian authorities, it’ll only be a matter of time before she can go home.

Yes, that’s right - that has to be right. 

Siane breathes and scratches at the patch on her neck. She thinks about the enigmatic police officer now that she’s on the tangent. She couldn’t be more grateful for his help; in just one night alone he’s done more for her than any officer in Aedis ever had. She’s been so used to the complacency back home that Nanu is a breath of fresh air, even if he is a little… odd. 

Not that he’s odd for living alone with a horde of Dark-Type Pokémon, of course. Siane would be a hypocrite to think that, especially since she herself lives alone with more bird Pokémon than she has fingers and toes. If anything, it’s his attitude that’s unusual. The older man carries himself with such a stern no-nonsense demeanour that when he’s being light-hearted it blindsides her. Like when he demonstrated to her how much of a lap-lizard his Krookodile is. Or when he gave her a jive comment when she’d fallen over that morning. Furthermore, he’s shown a lot more care for her than she’d expected, first aid aside; lending her his shirt while her clothes were hung up to dry; refilling her glass of water overnight; helping her to walk instead of simply getting his Pokémon to. 

She senses there’s a lot more to him than meets the eye. 

Siane sucks in a shaky breath through her mouth - wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. Her nose is congested from crying and her throat is dry from having to inhale through it. At least the tears have stopped.

She lies back against the pillows, head tilted so that she can see the sky outside. She isn’t really in the mood to look at the city anymore, it makes her long to get up and explore and right now she needs rest. 

A pair of small bird Pokémon fly by the window. She’s never seen them before; their white, red and black plumage not matching up to any birds she has knowledge of. She watches as they chase one another, twirling around and looping in the air all the while. 

Time once again seems to stretch out indiscernible. But for now she’s content to be mesmerised by the playful Pokémon outside.

The drive around Ula’Ula has done Nanu some good. 

Fortunately the island has been spared from any catastrophic damage from the storm, but there’s no shortage of work to be done. As he left Malie City he could see that clean up had already started and much of Route 11 was clear. He passed the groups of workmen halfway through Route 12; teams of Machokes and Machamps were helping their humans shift boulders and debris from the road. The road around Blush Mountain was bumpy to say the least, but it’s definitely been worse in the past. 

The trailer community south of the Haina Desert bore the brunt of the weather, however, and while there were some crews already attending the scene, they were in need of a few extra hands. Nanu made a couple of calls and it wasn’t long before fresh workers arrived. 

By the time he makes it back to the Po Town police station he’s only had to flag a handful more locations requiring maintenance. 

Nanu steps out of the car and locks the vehicle as he saunters to the station doors. He’s starting to feel the effects of his poor sleep and considers taking a nap once he gets inside. He still needs to contact the Aedisian authorities, however, and he’s pretty sure their timezone places them a few hours ahead of Alola so he can’t leave it too late. 

The misting rain is cool on his skin and it helps to wake him a little. It’s more overcast here than elsewhere on Ula’Ula - as per usual - but the sun is starting to break through the clouds again. He examines the sky for a rough read on what the weather could hold for the next few hours. 

A shadow circles above. 

He squints, trying to make out what it is as it passes through a ray of sunlight. In the second that he’s blinked away, the shadow makes a sudden change of direction. It banks sideways until it begins to make a sharp descent. 

Feathered wings tell him it’s some kind of bird Pokémon. 

But it’s _huge_ and it’s flying straight for him.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading...
> 
> It's babygirl's first POV chapter!! Hype bike a go gooo!  
> I think the chapter update schedule may be a bit out of whack for a little while as I try to get back into the swing of it. But we've got some exciting things developing so I hope I won't have you hanging too long!!  
> My beta is also getting tied up with her own commitments, so if there's some things I've missed I'll likely catch them over the next few days and make some minor tweaks. I try but my eyes consistently fail me - I still go back and edit my other fics for missed typos.
> 
> Until next time dear friends...


	6. Big Pecks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back, it's lovely to see you again!  
> I have all of you beautiful people to thank for this fic reaching 200+ hits! I couldn't have dreamed of such love. Thank you kindly for all of your support, it means the universe to me.
> 
> No content warnings for this chapter! 
> 
> So without further ado, let's goooo!

The great bird lets out a shrill screech; its wings lock fast as it swoops down low to the cobblestone road. A cloud of debris kicks up in its wake as it shoots towards Nanu.

He dives, hitting the wet grass just in time for the Pokémon to fly past like a hurricane. He catches a glimpse of it; from the shape of its lance-like beak and prominent coxcomb, it’s a Fearow. He’s never seen one so large. Not in Alola at least.

With one strong flap the Fearow begins its ascent, circling back around for a second pass. From this angle he can see its feathers on full display. The shaggy chestnut overcoat is flecked with white spots, covering the bird’s back and a good portion of its expansive wings. Beneath that is a lighter layer of golden brown, with three of its primary feathers matching the white of its spots and underbelly; its remaining primaries, through to its secondaries are a dark hickory shade. 

Nanu squints. There’s something blue attached to the Fearow's back. He can’t discern what it is before he has to defend himself. For whatever reason the Pokémon is sporting for a fight. He reaches for his Poke Ball as he stands, not hesitating for even a second before he throws it forward.

Big Boss bursts from the light, crowing loudly and fearlessly. He had sensed the commotion and was ready for it. He locks on to the Fearow charging towards them and rushes to meet the challenge. 

Fearow’s eyes narrow.

Nanu considers his Honchkrow to be a fairly large bird, being nearly twice the size of an average Honchkrow and capable of flying him around where he needed to. Only now as he sees Big Boss fly into battle does he realise how mistaken he was to think that. 

This Fearow absolutely dwarfs his Honchkrow. 

“Boss, Sucker Punch!” He commands. 

The two birds are speeding towards one another at a breakneck pace. The Fearow has straightened its neck - muscles taut as it appears to ready an attack with its beak. Big Boss makes a split second adjustment to the angle of his wings, twisting his body effortlessly to narrowly avoid colliding with his opponent. He kicks his talons out as they pass one another, striking the massive bird in its belly before breaking away.

The Fearow makes an angered shriek but is otherwise unaffected by the attack. It flaps its wings again, rising up to fly over Nanu’s head as both birds loop back for another round. As it swoops over the top of him the light catches on a shiny object wrapped around the bird’s left ankle. In that same foot is a small bag clutched between its talons.

He has no time to think about that, however. Nanu scrutinises his opponent’s movements and predicts it’ll try the same tactic. The Fearow accelerates forward, neck straightening. He’s convinced he could get away with Sucker Punching it into submission if it keeps this up.

“You know what to do, Big Boss!” Nanu calls and his Honchkrow caws in reply. 

They swoop for each other; gazes fixed. Big Boss flies over the top of his foe - dodging again with quick changes to his wings. He lands another jab with his claws and feathers scatter. Both birds circle around and make for a third pass.

Big Boss zips to the Fearow’s left side ready to fly over its wing. He’s a microsecond from executing his attack when the Fearow suddenly flips around, nearly upside down. It reaches out with its free leg - massive hooked talons poised. He cries out in surprise, then pain, as those talons find their mark. But it doesn’t stop at a mere scratch, no. The great bird seizes Nanu’s Honchkrow at the chest and before Nanu can even blink they’re dropping out of the sky.

And it’s a deliberate move; the huge Pokémon is pushing itself downward - wings up and muscles slack - throwing them both from the air with all the force of a falling meteorite. 

Nanu reaches for his Poké Ball to call his Pokémon back but it’s too late. Fearow slams Big Boss down into the ground a few metres away from him. Grass and mud splashes up around them like a shockwave. He’s expecting the wild bird to take off and come for him, but when the proverbial dust settles it’s still on the ground. 

Big Boss’s caw is muffled into the grass beneath them and the Fearow hisses low in warning. Nanu has never seen his Honchkrow look so small and powerless. He has no idea what’s driving this Pokémon to such aggression, but he’s not going to let it have its way. He still hasn’t got a clear shot with his Poké Ball so he sends out the other companion he brought with him. 

Krooks takes form and lands on his feet with a resounding thump. He sees his comrade in the clutches of the massive bird and snarls, baring his teeth in a threatening display. The Fearow turns, unfazed by the crocodilian’s intimidating demeanour as it squeezes its grip harder around Big Boss. 

“Hold tight, Boss, we’re gonna get you outta there,” Nanu reassures - keeping his voice even all the while. 

Krooks growls a second time, a message conveyed in his tone. 

The Fearow raises its head up and screeches back defiantly. 

With the Pokémon at a stand-still, Nanu can finally make out what’s attached to its back. His brows raise at the discovery. It’s a saddle. There’s even a bridle and reins strapped to it. This is no wild Fearow, Nanu realises. Perhaps Sucker Punching it into docility isn’t such a good idea after all.

The exchange between the Pokémon suddenly sours and the bird releases Big Boss to lunge at Krooks. Krooks flexes and he braces for impact.

“Quickly Krooks - manoeuvre around it and grab it by the saddle!” Nanu orders just in time.

He’s agile for a Krookodile and it’s a trait that serves him well. He weaves his body down to all fours to avoid the grappling talons. His muscles clench and spur him forward, springing him up around Fearow’s left side where the bird can’t reach with its pre-occupied foot. Krooks seizes the reins with one hand and wraps his other over the bird’s back. He’s caught the Fearow mid-air, but it doesn’t give up just yet. The Fearow beats its wings furiously, battering Krooks with them as it tries to fly away. He closes his eyes as the huge bird strikes him repeatedly. 

“Ground it!” 

His Krookodile locks his grip. With a confident roar, Krooks twists and drags the bird down. Though the Fearow may be huge, he still had the greater body mass and he uses it to pin the bird to the grass. It struggles and screeches, but it’s not going anywhere any time soon. 

With the target more or less subdued, Nanu rushes to his Honchkrow’s aid. Nanu breathes out in relief when the corvid sits up and puffs his feathers up. He’s a little disheveled.

“That looked rough,” Nanu remarks as he kneels down and lightly passes his hands over his Pokémon’s body, feeling for any wounds but thankfully finding none. “You good?”

Big Boss tilts his beak upward and rights the hat-shaped crest on his head with his wing. He answers Nanu’s inquiry with a somewhat undignified croak despite his proud posturing.

“He just hurt your ego then, huh,” he smirks. He’ll make sure to give Big Boss a few extra berries tonight to soften the blow.

Big Boss chitters quietly, fluffing his breast feathers in a rather curious display. Nanu raises his brows. His Honchkrow very pointedly corrected him that the Fearow in question is a female.

Nanu has never been keen-eyed to discern the sex of Pokémon - especially when the species had little to no dimorphism between them. 

Nanu stands and turns to face the other Pokémon. The Fearow has seemingly stopped her struggle but continues to emit hoarse and angry squawks. He paces slowly towards the bird’s front, examining the saddle and reins at a safe distance in case she breaks free. The saddle is nothing like the bulky high-tech pieces used by the Ride Pager Pokémon in Alola. It’s made from thick leather and from the looks of the stitching is handcrafted. The whole piece is masterfully dyed with two tones of blue, light and dark. Like shades of the sky.

As he comes around to the front, he sees the Pokémon is staring, tracing his movements with fierce unblinking eyes. He isn’t intimidated by the dark pupils that leer back at him, but the way they’re filled with such human emotion causes him to pause. There’s fury, accusation and recognition all contained within her glare. 

Siane said she owned a Fearow, didn’t she? 

It makes sense, if it’s true, that this would be her Pokémon then. There’s only one way to find out.

“Is Siane your trainer?” He asks.

She watches him. There’s an unmistakable glint in her eyes at the sound of the woman’s name. She makes a low warbling in her throat and Big Boss caws to Nanu, confirming her answer to his question. Then Fearow hisses, to which Big Boss translates to the old cop as ‘where?’.

“Had to take her to the hospital,” he explains. Fearow looks alarmed. Her feathers bristle and she looks to be on the cusp of another aggressive outburst. Her tone continues to rise until she’s squawking fiercely at him. 

Big Boss looks taken aback and relays to Nanu: ‘abandoned her’. He frowns.

“She needed medical care that I couldn’t provide her with,” Nanu reasons. “Once Siane makes a recovery you’ll be able to see her.” 

Fearow inspects his face with a critical gaze. It’s a tense couple of seconds before the bird appears to accept this. The tension in her body eases. The fight in her eyes has faded and Nanu can suddenly see just how exhausted she is. Her breaths are laboured and shaky; even her wings are trembling.

It’s not the battle that’s worn her out, he thinks. Then a horrifying thought crosses his mind and the words leave his mouth before he has time to properly process them.

“Did you fly Siane here?”

Her dark eyes bore into Nanu’s, but not with ferocity. There’s a calm but powerful openness to her expression and slowly she dips her head down. Big Boss looks to Nanu as though he should know this gesture.

Of course she’d be tired then. A flight from Aedis to Alola is no small feat, nevermind having to contend with a storm at the same time. Nanu can hardly believe they made it here alive. 

That’s one mystery solved, but it’s only spawned new ones to replace it. 

If Siane flew here on Fearow, it puts a flaw in his abduction theory. But then again, it still doesn’t explain the condition she arrived in — the IV marks, the weakness, the memory loss. If Siane herself couldn’t fathom how she’d made it here, she mustn’t have known that Fearow had brought her. That would mean it was a decision Fearow had made of her own accord. But why? Pokémon only took such risks out of instincts to survive and or to protect. What was so dangerous to have prompted the Flying-Type to bring its trainer so far from home? 

Perhaps the abduction theory still holds water after all.

Nanu pinches his fingers to his brow. It’s one thing after the other, piling up in an insurmountable heap. He can feel the beginnings of a headache. He does a quick mental shuffle of his tasks, reprioritising them for the present. Right now Siane’s Fearow needs treatment; the mysteries will have to wait. 

“I’m going to let you go now. You done fighting?” Nanu queries. Fearow doesn’t make any sort of movement to suggest she’ll attack. Once he’s certain, he gives Krooks the signal. His Krookodile unhands the bird.

They give her space, stepping back a step or two as she gathers the strength to stand. She ruffles her feathers and shakes loose the mud and grass that’s stuck to her while being on the ground. Then, unexpectedly, she tucks her long neck down and plucks the bag from her talons. She extends her beak out and offers the bag to Nanu. When he hesitates to take it, she gives it a little shake and emits a croak, as if to insist. Nanu doesn’t keep her waiting and takes the bag from her sharp beak. 

It’s a leather drawstring bag, dyed a similar blue to Fearow’s saddle. The colours are blotchy in places and he realises it’s because it’s a little damp. There’s some weight to the bag and from the feel of it there could be Poké Balls inside. He isn’t about to inspect the contents out in the open, so he slings it over his shoulder by one of the straps. 

“You could do with some patching up yourself,” Nanu remarks to Fearow as she stares at him. “I live just over there,” he points to the police station across from them, “you can come along if that’s what you want. There’s plenty of food and it beats being out in the rain.” 

She appears to consider this, taking note of the building and of Nanu’s expression. Big Boss chatters to her softly, seeming to sell the idea of getting out of the elements to rest. With that, she agrees and follows along behind Nanu.

Fearow rests in the back half of the station while the Meowth horde watches with nervous curiosity. She’s too big to fit through the door to the living quarters, but it didn’t bother her in the slightest. If anything she’s content to be sheltered, Nanu thinks. 

He takes the time to remove her saddle, thinking that it must be uncomfortable to wear for so long. Having little to no experience with such equipment, however, removing it is quite the puzzle for Nanu. But Fearow is calm throughout the whole process, even lifting her wing so that he can access the various buckles and straps more easily. After finally managing to undo it without breaking anything, Fearow gives a good shake of her feathers, fluffing herself up and crooning softly in delight.

Nanu stores the saddle in a place where the Meowth can’t tamper with it and moves on to gently examining Fearow for any injuries. She maintains her patience with him, offering no reactions to his firm ministrations. He’s satisfied that she’s able to move all her limbs when prompted without feeling any pain.

It seems that she’s only fatigued, which is a big relief. Nanu can treat fatigue. 

Fearow drinks all the water he offers her, which is a challenge at first given the absurd length of her beak. He eventually discovers it’s easier to just give the bird a plastic drink bottle, which she then clasps in her foot, ducks her head under and pours into the side of her beak. 

While she’s doing this, Nanu sees the object he spotted around her ankle during the battle. It’s a thin woven leather band with a single glass bead. The colours match up to Fearow’s saddle and - now that he remembers it - Siane’s outfit. The consistency in colour theme makes him wonder if Siane carries some kind of rank in Aedis, as regular trainers seldom bothered with any kind of style or branding. 

After being adequately watered, Fearow scarfs down the PokéFeed Nanu had plated up for her. Looking content, she settles in for a nap on a blanket on the floor that Big Boss has pinched from somewhere around the station. 

Nanu decides to stay in the same room as Fearow to keep a close eye on her. He has no doubts that the Meowth will try their luck to inspect her while her guard is down and he doesn’t want a fight breaking out. 

While Fearow rests he examines the bag she gave him. He loosens the drawstrings and begins laying out the bag’s contents on the desk as he goes through it. He was right about suspecting there being Poké Balls inside - there are two. Curiously enough, both are already storing Pokémon, indicative of the rotation of the little disc on the ball’s front mechanism. 

He doesn’t know how many Pokémon Siane has exactly. She had only listed four while they were in the car. At the very least she has three here - that ought to bring her some comfort. 

The next thing he finds is a small wallet. Like the bag, it’s made from leather but shows a considerable amount of wear and tear - its teal dye job is splodgy and sun-faded. Inside he finds some cash and a few loose receipts — nevermind, a lot of loose receipts; they were all folded up into tiny squares to save space. He brushes them into a little pile on the desk before they can drop onto the floor like a shower of confetti. 

Eventually, after flicking past a handful of half-filled coffee vouchers, he finds her trainer ID, perfectly intact and unexpired too. He’s oddly pleased she hadn’t given him a false name - ‘Siane Sol’Nahima’ is printed clearly on the card beside her photo. Well, she’d omitted the ‘Sol’ part, but he has a feeling it wasn’t out of dishonesty. At least now he knows how her name is spelled. For record purposes of course. Out of habit, he looks to the date of birth printed under her name - doing the math before he can stop himself. 

He wouldn’t have guessed she was twenty-nine just by looking at her, that’s for sure; especially when comparing that to her ID photo. Her brownish-sienna hair is pinned up in the photo, sweeping up like the curve of a bird’s wing; longer strands of hair frame the sides of her face. While she isn’t smiling - as per ID photo standards - there’s a brightness in her eyes that was distinctly lacking when he’d met her.

He realises he’s been looking at the trainer card for a while and that there’s little else to it that should interest him. He returns it to the inside of Siane’s wallet along with the pile of folded receipts.

Lastly, at the bottom of the bag Nanu finds a PokéGear. He hasn’t seen one of these in what - fifteen years? Most trainers have since moved onto fancier Rotom Phones. As far as this device goes, the clunky thing looks like one of the first models of the flip-screen generation of PokéGears. There are a few scratches on the orange and white case, and the clip for the neck strap is broken, but it’s in decent condition considering how old it must be.

It comes as no surprise when he presses the power-on button that the device doesn’t respond. He suspects the battery has run dry; if it’s been on for as long as Siane’s two-week memory gap, it would have most certainly burned through its emergency charge, which presents a new problem. There’s no charger in her bag. Flipping the PokéGear over, Nanu finds the cable port and his brows furrow at the sight. The device isn’t a refurbished old model, which meant it still required the original plug. By Arceus’s halo, there’s no way he’s going to find a cable for a device that’s nearly fifteen years old and more or less obsolete. 

Unless…

He could always speak to Molayne; the ex Trial Captain was bound to have something for it. He could do that while inquiring about the microchip; two birds one stone. 

Fearow huffs in her sleep. 

Hmm, perhaps not the best idiom to use right now. 

Nanu writes a note for himself to remember it later. There are so many things he has to do already, he knows he’ll forget one or two tasks along the way. 

Like making that phone call to Aedis. 

“Damnit,” he curses as he turns to the clock on the wall. It’s coming up to two o’clock now, which will likely mean it’s already the evening in Aedis. A quick check of the global map he has stashed in his desk drawer confirms the region’s timezone being four hours ahead. While there’s bound to be someone on duty to answer the phone, Nanu has a vague recollection of how unreliable they could be there. He hopes that has at least changed in the last ten years.

He finds his cheat sheet in one of the planners on his desk, containing numbers of various police departments across the world. He zeroes in on the one he’s after, keeping a finger poised on the page while the other hand reaches for the handset. He punches in the numbers without looking at the dialpad.

The line rings...

…

…

…

And it continues to ring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading...
> 
> I had a lot of fun writing a Pokémon battle after how many years..? I don't know -- too many. I'm looking forward to writing more of them in this fic, so you have that to look forward to, unless you hated it?  
> Answers to questions that lead to more questions without answers... poor Nanu wants a nap!  
> I do apologise for the slight delays happening lately; work has been picking up and with Christmas around the corner it's been quite hectic. The sudden change of hours to early mornings has me really tired, so it's been hard keeping my focus on anything. 
> 
> I will be taking a short break over the Christmas period just to recenter myself, but don't fear, this fic will be returning to normal updates in the New Year or so, I can promise you that.  
> Knowing me, I'll say this and end up having no self control and updating anyway.  
> But yes - don't fret if there isn't a weekly update until January. Gale Wings will be back!
> 
> I wish you all a safe and happy holiday season, with all my love to each of you.
> 
> Until next time, my dear friends...


	7. Analytic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After a little break, we're back; it's good to see you again!  
> I hope you've all been safe and well over the last month. 
> 
> Content warning heads up for a brief mention of Pokemon cruelty and some depressive thoughts.

Nanu can’t shake the weight of uneasiness that’s settled in his gut. 

He’s let the phone ring out three times in the last half hour and has even tried contacting government numbers in Aedis - all yielding the same result. There’s been no response, not even an answering machine for him to leave a message. It’s hard to believe that there’d be no one on duty attending the phone lines - not for this long, or in so many places. To say it’s unusual is an understatement. 

He hangs the phone up once more; it's been going for nearly a minute, he’s certain now that no one is picking up. He scratches the back of his head, confused and frustrated. 

Alpha chirrups at him inquisitively from her place on the floor beside him. She’s been watching this whole time and expresses an interest in his perplexed state. 

“Something’s fishy, girl,” he remarks as he reaches down to rub behind her ears. He catches the way Alpha’s eyes flash and quickly adds, “and not in a good way.” 

She flicks her tail and pushes against his hand, purring deeply as she continues to observe. 

Nanu turns his chair to face the computer. He hasn’t tried emailing yet. It’ll be slower than a phone call, but it’s better than nothing. It takes a minute for the computer to boot up. He’s pretty sure he’s had the thing since he came to Alola. Might be worth upgrading - even if he does only use it for work and the odd game of solitaire. 

Nanu hears Big Boss’s distinct warning crow and he flicks his eyes up over the monitor to see what’s ruffled the Pokémon’s feathers. The corvid has puffed himself up and is warding a couple of the Meowth away from Fearow with his wings. One of the Meowth tries to playfully swat at him, even though he’s far larger than them. He caws agitatedly and when they don’t take his warning he flaps his wings and kicks his feet. The felines’ bravado wears off and they scatter.

That was weird. 

Nanu looks back to the screen and brings up the email app. Glancing back down to his cheatsheet he finds a few addresses that he could try to shoot off an inquiry to. He keeps his correspondence concise, getting straight to the point before hitting the send button. Almost immediately the email bounces back. 

Nanu frowns. Something’s definitely up. 

Well, if there’s a good place to start in figuring out what’s going on in the island region, it’s the internet. If he can’t reach anyone in Aedis - by phone or email - it can’t be an isolated problem. This kind of interference is bound to have generated some press attention, he rationalises. He opens a web browser and it’s not long before he finds Aedis’s recent news. 

There are articles mentioning a once in a lifetime cosmic event, a few on booming tourist numbers and where to find the best places to stay - all benign to his investigation. Instead his eyes are drawn to the headline of a post made three days ago:

Desert Construction Project Causes Comms Blackout 

This could be the ticket, Nanu thinks. 

He scans over it, brows furrowing deeper all the while. From what he can gather, a government construction site is to blame for a region-wide telecommunications blackout. There are quotes from a statement issued by the Aedisian government regarding the incident as an unforeseen side-effect of the project. No one is reported to have been injured, but disruptions are anticipated to continue for at least another week while they assess and repair the networks.

That explains one thing, but what kind of construction work could do that kind of damage? 

Nanu’s rapidly falling down a Buneary hole as he clicks into several linked posts on the Aedisian news page. 

He finds the name of it quickly - Project Star-Catcher. Completely government funded, it’s an infrastructure project designed to assist celestial Pokémon in making a safe landing on the island. From the looks of the blueprints and mockups shared on the article, it’s a giant ovaloid platform surrounded by eight towering pylons. When he sees the scale of the structure, Nanu can’t help but blink a couple of times. Doing the numbers in his head, Project Star-Catcher is slightly bigger than the entire area of Po Town. And that was just one of the sites. The Aedisian government has planned for two of these platforms - one for each celestial Pokémon. 

Nanu draws a blank at what they could possibly mean by celestial Pokémon. There are only so many that exist at the world’s peripheral, and none of them - to his knowledge - meet the criteria of needing a platform of this size. Before he can click through to find an answer to his question, however, something catches his eye. 

Down in the recommended section - a symbol. 

An S-shaped insignia.

Nanu’s hand darts for the drawer; the movement is so fast it startles Alpha. He pulls out the microchip he’d stored away, twisting it over in his fingers until he can see the mark engraved into it. It’s the same.

There’s an uncomfortable mix of satisfaction and apprehension that washes over him at this discovery, but none of it shows on the old cop’s face. Determined for some clarity, he clicks through on the recommended article.

At a glance, it’s nothing more than a fluff piece highlighting the region’s most successful businesses, but it gives Nanu a lead.

“Somina Co.” he murmurs aloud as he reads. The name doesn’t ring any bells, but from what the journalist has to say, they’re a big deal in Aedis. 

Nanu shifts into a more comfortable position in his desk chair, leaning forward to rest on one elbow as he scrolls down the paragraphs. A Meowth jumps onto the desk but he pays it no mind, even as it rubs its face against his shoulder.

There’s a little blurb about Somina Co.’s history, which saves Nanu from having to do another search for the time being. The company was founded fifteen years ago by a woman named Adelin Sivion. The photo beside the paragraph depicts a woman in a black blazer with cropped blonde hair and an angled fringe that crosses down over her right eye. She’s smiling while shaking hands with an older man - salt-pepper haired and soft featured - that the caption describes as the current Aedisian president, Malleon Nett. 

Nanu reads on. 

Ms Sivion had developed a revolutionary form of treatment using technology derived from the famous Unovan Dream World device, initially invented by Doctor Fennel. This new device, when used together with Pokémon, is able to assist the recovery of people suffering from psychological trauma and other mental health conditions. And not only that, it also has recreational applications - providing a lucid dream experience to those who wish to seek it.

Nanu leans back into his chair, raising a hand to his chin thoughtfully. It makes sense that a region ravaged by conflict and corruption would benefit from such a device - whether it be to actually treat a condition or offer an escape. Either way, it’s impressive technology. The Unovan model was much more primitive when it launched, from what he can recall, and was more oriented towards use on Pokémon rather than humans. Figures then, that the funding eventually dried up for Doctor Fennel, as her invention didn’t have any wider application beyond niche research and entertainment for users. Somina Co. really made use of its untapped potential. So then…

What part did the microchip play? Nanu blinks as he looks at the tiny device in his hand, eyes struggling to focus on its details without the aid of his reading glasses. Did it have some function for Somina Co’s therapy? If so, was Siane receiving treatment for something? Was it at all connected to Fearow’s decision to bring her here?

All these questions are hanging like disconnected puzzle pieces; the more pieces that come together, the more he realises the picture is much bigger than he anticipated. 

The weariness is starting to overwhelm him and while he promised himself a nap, his instincts tell him he’s on the cusp of something big here. 

Time for a coffee.

Or not. 

The phone has started ringing. 

The caller ID registers on the phone’s little display and unfortunately Nanu recognises it as a local number. A Melemele island number, to be specific. He sighs, feeling somewhat disgruntled to be interrupted, but he supposes he’s been overdue for a check in from the other kahunas. 

The investigation will have to wait.

To Nanu’s displeasure he’s lost the remaining hours of the day.

Hala’s call had just been the start of it. What initially opened as a damage report and inquiry into whether additional resources needed to be sent between islands, turned into an inescapable lecture on Nanu’s absence during the last three monthly kahuna meetings. He seldom attends them. It’s generally rare that anything of significance happens in Alola to warrant the collaboration of the kahunas, barring festivities and holiday events. Even then, he prefers to avoid those too. Why bother meeting up each month when there’s little more to say than all’s well? 

Hala wouldn’t have a word of it. Eventually Nanu had managed to disengage and hang up on the man; a move he knew would earn him another lecture later down the track. However, no sooner had he returned the receiver to its dock, it rang again. Surprisingly, it wasn’t Hala, but it was work-related and even more unavoidable. 

By the time he’s addressed everything and returned to facing the computer, it’s dark outside. Much of the station is unlit; he couldn’t get away long enough to put the lights on. There’s just the glow of the desk lamp and computer monitor - a conflicted beacon of cold and warm in the dimness of the building. 

Nanu takes a deep breath, pressing his fingers to his forehead in an attempt to abate the headache that’s formed. Looking up, the words on the screen start to blend together, becoming indiscernible. He sees no hope in getting through any more reading today. All of the bodily needs he’s been ignoring come at him at once; he’s torn between showering, eating or just going straight to bed. The latter is like a deadly siren’s call. It’d be so easy to give in; every part of his body is screaming for him to. He would’ve happily resigned himself to the urge, but...

There’s so much that needs to be done.

Arceus, he still needs to feed the Pokémon too. 

He groans, pressing the heels of his palms against his eyes before drawing his fingers up through his grey hair. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Mini trot over to the desk carrying something red in his mouth. Nanu turns and finds that Mini has brought over his old fluffy slippers. He has to admit his feet do feel a bit chilly.

His Absol gently places the footwear beside Nanu, nudging them with his nose and growling softly in his throat. Alpha purrs at Mini and the two chatter briefly, then look to Nanu expectantly. 

“Alright, I get it,” he huffs. “Knock off time.” 

Nanu bookmarks the articles in the browser before turning the computer off. While he tidies up the desk - ensuring all of Siane’s belongings are back inside her bag - Mini heads back to the house door. After a few seconds the lounge room light pops on and Nanu is clear to turn off the lamp. He swaps into his slippers and as he passes Fearow he notices that she’s awake and preening her feathers diligently. 

Nanu is surprised by his own fascination. He’s never really stopped to observe Fearows in the wild, so it hasn’t crossed his mind how exactly they navigate typical avian behaviours with such a hefty beak. The Fearows in Alola are much smaller, but even their beaks are long enough to spoil your day if you bothered them. Compared to Siane’s Fearow, though? Might as well be comparing a toothpick to a spear. 

It doesn’t seem to impede her, despite what he expects. She works the sharp tip between her feathers with speed and precision, working her way up through her wing and into the thick fluffy coat that covers her back. Upon closer inspection, it looks less like down feathers and more like fur. Peculiar. 

His brows pinch together out of reflex. As he stares at the scattered constellation of spots on her fur, he remembers that Aedisian Fearows are prized for their dorsal pelts. Not only are they soft and warm, but they’re waterproof too - ideal for making clothing to resist extreme weather. They also didn’t look half bad as a fashion item - at least, that’s what people had told him in the past. He never thought much about wearing Pokémon as a fashion statement. 

Details of that case he had worked on in Aedis are starting to come a little clearer to him now - like a fog has started to lift. He was there to track down a smaller branch of Team Rocket; a motley crew of Pokémon poachers and traffickers. Nasty, bloodthirsty fuckers. They had been active in multiple regions at the time - Hoenn, Unova, Kalos. Aedis was their final stop by the time he and Looker were through with them. 

Nanu is jarred by a sudden memory. The odious - almost painful - groan of a shipping container’s doors opening; the pungent stench of uncleaned hides and carcasses flooding out like an invisible wave - mixing with and quickly surpassing the fresh oceanic air. Hundreds of Fearow pelts, beaks, claws... 

Fearow croaks quietly, breaking him from his thoughts. She’s stopped preening, having sensed Nanu’s prolonged gaze. He wonders briefly just how many of her kind are left after he had closed that case a decade ago. 

“Shutting up shop for the night,” Nanu explains. “You need anything?” 

Fearow exhales sharply, but a quick shake of her head indicates she’s fine. She then makes a low warbling sound. He didn’t catch her body language, but luckily Big Boss is still close by, perched on one of the filing cabinets. He caws and fluffs his feathers, ‘she’s worried’. 

“You’ll see Siane soon,” Nanu replies. “For now, rest. You came a long way.” 

Sure enough, despite her agitated demeanour, there is still fatigue in her eyes. She doesn’t argue. Instead, she resumes her preening, but with less energy. 

Nanu gives Big Boss a gentle stroke along the top of his beak. 

“You have any trouble, you know where to find me.”

The next hour glides by and Nanu’s barely conscious of it; body moving about the tasks as though left on auto-pilot. 

He chucks a microwave dinner on to cook and gives the Pokémon their evening meals. He’ll keep the Meowth horde within the home space for the night so that Fearow can sleep in peace. The Meowth don’t seem to mind though. Everyone eats quietly as the rain picks up outside. Apparently he’s hungrier than he thought - he finishes his meal before he realises it. He cleans up the mess and heads for the bathroom.

He makes sure to fold up Siane’s outfit before he showers. Fortunately it had dried after hanging up overnight. The hot water does wonders to ease the tension in his muscles, but it’s only half of the whole medicine he really needs. He hasn’t got the willpower to do much more than stand there and let the water run over him, but he’s content with that. He can shave tomorrow. At least now he’s not carrying the smell of the whole day on him. 

Alpha has already found her place at the end of the bed by the time Nanu has finished the nightly routine. As he unhooks the Darkinium-Z necklace, he sees the full laundry basket at the corner of the room and huffs. He keeps forgetting. 

Arceus, it’ll be a miracle if he wakes up tomorrow.

_It’s quiet._

_Too quiet; like standing in a vacuum._

_But there isn’t a void around her - it’s dim, nighttime perhaps - but there are warm, rough stucco walls around her and dark hardwood floors beneath. Siane brushes her toes over the jute rug - its weaves arranged in a chevron pattern and autumn coloured._

_She recognises this rug. And the couch she’s sitting on._

_It’s hers. She’s sitting in her home._

_It’s like a switch has flipped - suddenly she can hear the rain pouring outside; smell the familiar scents of the plants potted around the room; feel the comforting presence of all the birds nesting here…_

_Strange. She can feel them, but she can’t see them. Her living room is empty._

_The old clock on the wall chimes as its hands strike eleven. The temperature drops, like an imperceptible draught has blown through the whole house._

_What she thinks is the rustling of trees in the wind outside, is actually a knocking at the front door._

_A knocking at the front door._

_Siane finds herself standing at the edge of the step into the foyer. It’s even darker here - she can’t even see through the small panelled window at the top of the front door._

_Who could it be at this hour?_

_“Si?” A low, muffled voice speaks from the other side. Who..? “Si, y’there?”_

_She shivers violently - it’s like her body has been submerged in ice water. Her instincts are blaring their warning sirens as the hairs on her neck stand on end. Everything fades out until all that exists is her and the door._

_The voice calls but grows more distant._

_“C’mon, open up, it’s—”_

Siane jolts awake. She’s trying to sit up before she’s even fully aware of it, but her muscles are like putty. Her head falls back to the pillow and she groans. She manages to roll onto her side, barely able to lift her head up again to look around.

Oh right, she’s in hospital. Siane doesn’t know why that’s a relief, but it is. The dream about being back at home was too uncanny.

But it wasn’t just a dream, was it? That all happened - didn’t it? Well, except for the part where her Pokémon weren’t there. Was her subconscious trying to reconstruct her patchy memory of that night in its own way?

She sighs, defeated. No matter how much she tries, she can’t bring new details to the surface. 

A little more awake now, Siane takes in the comfortable dimness of the room. The blinds have been drawn down over the windows, but the warmth of the city’s lights peek in through the cracks. The medical apparatuses behind her bed emit their own cool ambient glow, and coupled with the shaft of fluorescent light coming from the corridor, it’s not long before her eyes adjust. 

When did she fall asleep?

This keeps happening to her — how much time is she losing to these episodes? Surely this can’t go on for much longer, can it? 

Her chest tightens. What if this never goes away? She’ll never be able to fly her birds if she can’t control when she falls asleep. 

That’s a fate worse than death, she thinks. 

Flying is her whole life. From the day she could walk, her head has been in the clouds; enraptured by the Flying-Type Pokémon that master the skies with their grace and finesse. She trained hard so that she could one day share that world with them; she didn’t even wait to be licensed before she took her first leap.

Her heart lifts at the memory of the inertia, the rush. She’d been thirteen at the time - a scruffy haired, wiry limbed youth full of reckless, indomitable energy. And on that fateful summer afternoon, when she’d thrown herself off the cliffs of Aedis’s great crater, she’d never felt more alive. How the wind rushed through her hair; her body suspended in breathless freefall. Evren, the Fearow she’d watched grow from a fuzzy, bumbling hatchling, soared beneath her with practiced ease - caught her on her broad back, and lifted them up, up, until all there was was the sky. Bright, all-consuming. 

She remembers looking down at the island below - at the mighty Pyxis Range; a rugged mountainous ring circling the lush, emerald crater at Aedis’s heart. In that moment there was no room in her mind for anything else. This was what she wanted - this freedom, untethered from the troubles on the ground. What came next was finding which cliff, tree or building would make the best launchpad. It stressed her mother grey, no doubt. 

In hindsight, Siane realises it was probably all a manifestation of her grief. Her father had died just the year before that illegal flight of hers. Deep down, she knows that even had he lived, she would’ve taken to the sky; he had always supported her love for bird Pokémon. But perhaps she would’ve exercised more patience, more caution.

All fruitless what if’s and could-have-beens. 

Siane breathes and rolls onto her back again. Her thoughts are running unfettered, made worse by the fact she’s been more or less bedridden for the last day or two. She tries to regain some control over them - remind herself that there’ll be answers for her soon. Working herself up over it in the meantime is a waste of energy. And she hasn’t got much of that to spend as it is. 

As much as those memories provoke longing in her heart - for her home and her birds - it’s soothing to retrace the sensations of flights past.

And as Siane closes her eyes, beginning to drift off again, picturing the yawning great blue over her homeland, she can’t help but wonder how Alola must look from the sky.

Oh how she would love to see it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading...
> 
> It's good to be back and I'm excited to share all the things I have in store for this story!  
> I've kept the chapter lengths pretty consistent, but if you prefer longer chapters I'm happy to do so. I felt that 2.5k-3.5k were good bite-sized doses for busy lives. 
> 
> Until next time, dear friends...


	8. Chatter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back all to another chapter! I hope you're all safe and well.
> 
> Minor content warning for medical talk, but nothing too gritty.

“So what’re the results, doc?” Nanu asks. 

He keeps pace with the doctor’s steady stride as they walk down the hospital’s corridor. The ginger-haired man doesn’t answer immediately, but once they cross into the peaceful seclusion of his office and take a seat, he begins to speak. 

“Well, to be frank, Miss Nahima’s condition is quite baffling.”

That’s never a good sign. Nanu can’t help but frown. 

But the doctor’s expression isn’t stern or uneasy. 

“Medically, she’s perfectly healthy,” he says while flicking through the papers on his clipboard. “From what we’ve recorded - and from her own accounts - she’s lost a few kilograms, but her bloodwork shows she’s not malnourished or at risk of developing refeeding syndrome. Which is a good sign; her narcolepsy isn’t a result of poor nutrition.”

“Head trauma, then?” Nanu prompts. The doctor shakes his head.

“Not that either; her scans were clear,” he explains. “There was something else in her blood we noticed, though.”

The old cop sits up straighter as the doctor passes papers across the desk. There’s a data chart of some kind and several paragraphs of medical jargon that makes Nanu’s head spin. He does recognise some of the terms; the names of chemicals commonly found in Spore and Sleep Powder. What concerns him are the various names he isn’t familiar with and the red labels marking them as ‘unidentified’. 

“So what is it?” He asks.

“We don’t know,” the doctor admits. “It’s like nothing we’ve ever seen before. There are aspects that show remarkable similarities to the compounds found in Shiinotic spores - as well as those found in Venomoth’s paralytic powders - but it’s highly refined— potency nearly tenfold.”

As the doctor explains this, the data on the sheets in front of Nanu becomes clearer. 

“It’s a manufactured drug then,” Nanu infers.

“Without a doubt!” The doctor taps his finger on a particular line on the chart. “And given the levels, it seems that she’s been exposed to the drug in either high or consistent doses. As such, it has deposited itself throughout her system - her narcoleptic episodes are triggered by those compounds reactivating. So far it’s been resistant to the usual treatments we give patients who’ve been hit by soporific Pokémon attacks; like it’s been specifically designed to keep someone asleep at all costs.”

Nanu’s expression darkens. What purpose did such a drug have? Several, nefarious uses come to mind - until he remembers what’s in his jacket’s breast pocket. 

The Somina Co. microchip. 

His recollection gives the tiny device an almost lead-like weight; transforming it into a burning coal of possibilities. 

The other man doesn’t notice the subtle shift in Nanu’s demeanour and continues talking.

“On a positive note, the second round of tests indicate a decline in the free circulating levels of the compound. It’s not a massive drop, but over time Miss Nahima will gradually process it all out of her system, just like any other Sleep Powder or medication.”

“How long will that be?”

“At the current rate, we could be looking at one, maybe two weeks? Like I said, she’s perfectly healthy in all other aspects, so she shouldn’t face any complications.” He says before taking back the data sheet. “Now, this does mean that we won’t be able to keep Miss Nahima here at the hospital. Were you able to get in contact with her next of kin?”

“No such luck,” Nanu admits. “Still working on getting a hold of the authorities there.” 

“I see…” The doctor offers a sympathetic smile. “In that case, with your permission of course, we can make arrangements for her to be released into temporary care with one of the nurses.”

Nanu is shocked by the way his stomach twists at this suggestion. It’s not an unusual offer. He knows in many situations where patients don’t have ideal circumstances to be discharged to, medical staff would often offer temporary assistance until they could get back on their feet. But if Siane is going to stay with someone from the hospital while he continues the investigation, it would more than likely mean making multiple trips in and out of Malie City, and that just feels… _Inconvenient_. 

Yes, inconvenient is what it is. 

Nanu isn’t normally one to turn down a free pass out of extra work, but in this instance, what seems like the easy escape would actually be counterproductive. Besides, Siane’s Fearow alone would be a handful - nevermind whatever the other two Pokémon she has are like.

“That won’t be necessary doc,” Nanu says finally. “I’ve got a suitable alternative in mind.”

The doors of the elevator glide open once it arrives at the ground floor. Nanu lets the nurses riding with him exit first. The Chansey at their side gives him an enthusiastic ‘ _Chan!_ ’ in thanks.

The hospital lobby is noisier than the other floors; bustling with visiting family members and their children, people attending their appointments, the odd slightly disgruntled patient or two. He’s keen to get outside and away from it. Fortunately he doesn’t need to linger here long; all necessary paperwork for Siane’s discharge has already been filled out. 

As he nears the exit, he recognises a familiar face among a group of hospital staff. At nearly the exact same time, she recognises him too - her eyes brightening and shoulders lifting. There’s a pinch of dread as she calls out in greeting, “Kahuna Nanu, good morning!” 

Eadie - the paramedic from yesterday - bows her head with the same gusto as she had done the first time they met. Her glasses nearly fly off her face. He nods back at her as she parts from the group. As she gets closer, he sees there’s a rather full tote bag in her arms. 

“I was hoping to run into you,” she says - relief filling her voice.

“Not everyday I hear that,” Nanu murmurs. He’s not particularly in the mood for small talk, but the keenness in Eadie’s eyes tell him that she’s got something important to share, so he endures it. She doesn’t take notice of the slight sardony in his words, busily making a face as she fishes out something from her pocket instead. 

“I asked my colleagues -- about that chip you had?” She begins. Now he’s really listening. She makes a triumphant sound as she produces a folded piece of paper - a pamphlet of sorts. As Nanu unfolds the single-page leaflet, Eadie says matter-of-factly, “It’s an ESP-Amp.” 

He frowns, thinking he’s misheard her. Sure enough, her words are displayed in the heading of the leaflet. Extrasensory Perception Amplifier.

“Basically it acts like a signal booster for trainers who use Psychic-Type Pokémon,” Eadie explains, having read the bewilderment on Nanu’s face. “People who are natural espers have a greater synchronicity with their Psychic Pokémon - because their minds are able to link to one another in direct communication. This device helps non-espers achieve this connection with Psychic Pokémon.”

“Fascinating,” he remarks. His flat tone is contrary to his actual level of interest. The wonders of technology will never cease.

Nanu takes the microchip out from his own pocket and compares it to the diagram on the page. The ESP-Amp in the diagram is bulkier, squarer, with more wires. Unlike the Somina Co. chip, there are numerous little pins on one side. 

“It’s not _exactly_ like the ones I’ve seen, but the tech is advancing super fast. It’s most likely one of the newest models,” Eadie says confidently. She pauses, a thoughtful expression drawing over her features. “I wouldn’t have picked Siane for a Psychic-Type user.” 

“She’s not. At least, not as far as she’s told me,” he replies. He gestures with the pamphlet in his hand. “Thanks for this.”

Eadie beams in self-satisfaction. 

Nanu’s about to leave when she perks up.

“Oh, before you go, Kahuna!” She offers him the tote bag with both hands, reflexively bowing her head. “It’s not much, but given Siane’s situation, I thought she could use them.” 

As he takes the bag, he sees that there are a few clothes inside. Spare or brand new, he can’t tell, but either way it’s more than he expected. 

“Thanks,” he says again. 

There’s a stark shift in temperature when Nanu steps outside the hospital. The humidity is palpable today, hitting him like a front the moment he’s abandoned the refuge of the air conditioned building. 

It isn’t long before the staff bring Siane out, pushing her in a wheelchair to where Nanu’s vehicle is parked. She’s out of the hospital gown and back in the purple shirt he had loaned her the day before. She looks more alert than she did previously, despite the slight shadows under her eyes. 

Once close enough to the car, she’s able to stand using her own strength, albeit slowly. She avoids putting too much weight on her bandaged ankle; the nurse is close, ready in case of any sign of trouble, but Siane sits herself in the passenger seat fine. The nurse passes her a sealed plastic bag and talks her through what Nanu presumes is some medication advice. He chucks the tote Eadie gave him into the back seat in the meantime.

When all is said and done, he thanks the nurse and climbs into the car. Parking in the shade has done little to mitigate the day’s heat and Nanu wastes no time switching on the AC. 

“Good to go?” He asks, glancing up at Siane as he buckles himself in.

She nods without delay. 

“I have to say this is unexpected,” she remarks with a slight smile. When Nanu quirks his brow in questioning, she quickly clarifies, “I don’t mean that in a bad way. You must be a busy man running the police station with all those Pokémon to care for. I didn’t think you’d have the time to be putting me up with all that going on.”

“Busy or not, it’ll be much easier sorting out your dilemma with you closeby,” Nanu replies simply. “Besides, conducting investigations over a distance is a pain in the arse.” 

Siane lets out a sharp breath through her nose in amusement, her smile growing a fraction. 

“I suppose it would be.” She lifts her eyes to meet his; earnestness in their blue-greys. “I appreciate it.”

“It’s nothing,” he dismisses, drawing his attention to pulling the vehicle out of its parking spot. 

“I promise to stay outta your hair. I’ll be the best houseguest you’ve ever had.” Siane declares like she’s swearing an oath.

Nanu scoffs amusedly. Not like she has much to compete with; beyond Acerola and the odd occasions where Guzma would pass out on any one of the station’s sofas, Nanu didn’t really have many guests. 

“I’ll hold you to that,” he says, noticing the slight mischief in Siane’s eyes. 

It’s a straight drive back to Route 17, but he’s in no hurry. Without a medical emergency pressing on him, there’s no need to push the limits. As they leave Malie City, the silence becomes quite apparent and a new tension forms in Nanu’s gut. 

He briefly looks across to Siane, whose eyes are fixed on the scenery rolling by. She’s not struggling to keep herself upright, which is a relief. She’s merely engrossed in the view. He suddenly finds himself unusually torn as to what to say. He’s not without questions that need answers and he’s certainly not one to beat around the bush when it comes to pressing for them, but some small part of him feels like now isn’t the time. There’s an animatedness to the sienna-haired woman that wasn’t there before, as though for now she’s not burdened by the gravity of her circumstances. She’s simply in the moment, enjoying the sights as they cruise along the road. 

It’d be a shame to ruin her good mood. But when has that ever bothered him? 

“I wanted to ask you something,” he starts.

“Oh?” Siane replies, though her attention is still affixed to the window.

Where to start? He’s surprised he hasn’t thought this through. He’s getting rusty. There’s no good way to word it, so he’ll do what he’s always done - blunt and to the point.

“Did you have anything to do with Somina Co. recently?” 

Nanu knows he has her attention now; the way her hair brushes audibly against the headrest when she turns gives her away. He glances over and there’s recognition in her eyes clear as day. 

“Somina? No, I haven’t,” she says with certainty. “What brought them up?”

While they’re on a straight stretch of the road Nanu pulls the microchip from his jacket pocket and holds it out for Siane to take. He sees her hand waver in his peripheral but she takes the device. 

“When you blew in, I found this sticking out of your neck,” he explains. Siane turns the chip over and sees the distinct insignia engraved on it. “After some digging around, I found out about them and their dream therapy. The paramedic from yesterday told me those chips are used to boost psychic signals. Since Somina seem to use Pokémon in their treatment, I figured there’d be some connection there.”

Siane doesn’t say anything to begin with, stunned trying to take it all in. 

“That’s… I mean that makes sense — that you’d come to that conclusion, but,” Siane fumbles over her words. “I’ve never gone in for dream therapy, ever. I’ve never been interested.” 

“Hmm.” Nanu grows pensive. 

“At least, as far as I can remember I’ve never been interested in it.” He can hear her uncertainty now, the distrust in her own memory. “It’s all the rage in Aedis, but I… I prefer flying to be my escape, y’know?”

He does not. Well, not exactly. He can’t say flying is his favourite pastime, but he can definitely see the preference against meddling with the brain. 

But then that leads to the more ominous possibilities.

“Think you could’ve been put under without realising it?” Nanu suggests. She could not be remembering this detail, but people’s convictions aren’t something so easily forgotten. 

“I… you mean, by force?” She queries. He doesn’t reply, but he gives her a passing look. Her expression shifts, taken somewhat aback by the accusation. “No, that’s ridiculous. That wouldn’t happen.” 

“Are you sure?” 

Why he feels shitty for what he normally does in his investigations, he doesn’t know, but he endures the uncomfortable sensation out of necessity. 

“Adelin wouldn’t let something like that happen in her company,” Siane says firmly. 

Nanu’s brows raise. “You know the founder?” 

“Yeah, quite well actually.” Siane drops the defensive tone, but he can sense that the wind has been taken from her sails. “It’s thanks to her that I have my job. She helped me get through college to study wildlife conservation in our region; recruited me into the Elite Trainer circuit long before that... I owe her a lot.”

“Elite Trainer circuit, huh?” Nanu probes. 

“Aedis didn’t have a Pokémon league - it kind of never got organised with all the, uh, stuff that went on over the years.” She almost sounds embarrassed by the fact. “That and the island was deemed too small for the standard eight gym system. But Adelin thought that if we could have something similar it could draw in more tourists for the region; help get it back on its feet. She suggested we could make use of old Aedisian traditions as a basis for trainer challenges, along with Pokémon battles. She pitched the whole thing to the Aedisian government and it took off from there.”

Nanu nods. Sounds a lot like what Professor Kukui had in mind when he set up Alola’s Pokémon league - trial captains and all. Curious, how similar they are. Even more curious is how remarkable Adelin’s accomplishments are. 

“It’s been a success too. Since it got running, Aedis has only gotten more and more visitors. I don’t think I’d be making even a halfway decent living if it hadn’t been for her,” Siane says, wistful. “I’m sorry, I’ve gone off.”

The old cop shrugs indifferently. He’s learned a lot from what she’s had to share. 

“In any case,” he begins, noticing how slightly the tension grows around Siane. “It doesn’t explain their microchip on you.”

She looks back down at the device, face stern. 

“No, you’re right,” she acquiesces, then lets out a sigh. “But I’m sure if I asked her she’ll have an explanation.” 

Nanu makes a noncommittal sound in response and Siane leans back into her seat. She fidgets with the microchip before depositing it in the centre console’s cup holder. 

“Speaking of, did you get in contact with anyone back home?” Siane inquires.

“You think I’d be taking you back to the station if I did?” It comes out harsher than he intends and he immediately regrets it. “The phone lines are dead — turns out there’s been a huge blackout in Aedis.”

“What?” She sits up straight in her disbelief.

“Construction incident — Project Star-Catcher?”

“That thing, really?” Siane’s voice rises in incredulousness. She knows what it is at least. “That’s crazy… how bad?”

“No one’s hurt from what they’ve reported, but their telecommunications are going to be patchy for a while,” he says.

Siane sags into her seat once more, another sigh leaving her lips. 

Wow he’s really spoiling her mood today.

He knows there’s the unspoken suggestion that he’ll keep trying to make contact - that’s obvious - but he feels the nagging urge to _say it_. But, as before, Nanu spends too much time thinking it over and the moment passes. 

“Wild, how quickly things can fall apart like that,” she says in a quiet, contemplative voice. “Two weeks of my life — gone — and somehow the world’s turned upside down…” It’s like she’s far away from herself. He gazes over, worrying that she may be on the edge of a narcoleptic episode, but she’s not. Just looking helpless, if somewhat miserable. The guilt gnawing at his insides is not unlike the one he feels when he’s upset Acerola. Unfortunately this isn’t a situation he can remedy with the mere offering of an ice cream or malasada.

It’s not much longer before they pull up at the station, though it had felt longer with the enduring silence between them. As Nanu shuts off the engine, he remembers the bag Eadie had given him and he reaches behind his seat for it.

“By the way,” he says while blindly patting around the back seat. “Eadie wanted you to have this.” 

He passes her the bag and her eyes widen, surprised, inquisitive. 

Siane looks over the colourful print on the cotton surface; tiny red silhouettes of Baile form Oricorio dancing between similarly red and pink patterns of flowers - ‘Alola’ is printed in curled lettering across the bottom right. Her gaze softens. When she finally takes notice of the bag’s contents, however, she’s astonished. “What- no! She didn’t… Why?”

“You really think you were going to get around in just that?” He gestures to his shirt she’s wearing, “I only have so many spare in my wardrobe.” Which is true; he’d given it to her out of necessity and anything is better than wearing wet clothes. But he’s only human and having her in his home baring the length of her legs like that for the next Arceus-knows-how-long is sure to get to him.

What a treacherous thought. He ought to bury himself in the snow on Lanakila. 

Siane makes another breathy laugh, averting her eyes down to the gifted clothes.

“This is... more than I could’ve ever expected. I really don’t know what to say.”

And he doesn’t either, but he’s relieved it’s lifted her spirits. He comes around to her side of the car and helps her out. While she leans on him for support, she manages to carry herself with a lot more strength now, and getting to the front door isn’t as much of a challenge as he expected. 

“I forgot to mention earlier,” Nanu says as he unlocks the station doors. Siane looks at him expectantly. “Something of yours turned up yesterday.” 

She frowns, perplexed, as he leads her indoors and out of the misting rain. 

“Ookay,” she says warily, “Are you gonna expand on that or--” 

Before she can even finish her sentence, the air stirs. Several Meowth scatter from behind the dividing wall as a loud shriek echoes through the room. Siane’s whole body tenses up; eyes bright with recognition. 

“Ev?” She calls softly. Voice fragile at the edges, like she dare not hold any thread of hope lest it be torn from her in an instant. 

A gust blows through the station as Fearow gives her wings a mighty flap. The great bird practically flies over the half-wall, barely avoiding Nanu’s desk on her way down. She’s coming at them so fast, Nanu thinks she’ll flatten them. To his horror, Siane lets go of him. He’s so stupefied he doesn’t have the chance to stop her from rushing forward. 

“Evren, it’s really you!” Siane cries out, thrusting her arms around her Pokémon as she lands down. Siane’s body isn’t ready for the sudden exertion and her legs almost immediately give out, but Evren reacts swiftly, scooping her neck around her trainer to hold her up. 

Nanu’s halfway to scolding Siane for her recklessness - what is she thinking, running like that after just coming out of hospital - until he sees the tears pouring from her eyes. He bites his tongue for now. While he stands there unsure of what to do with himself as this goes on, Alpha emerges from the back of the station. The violet feline takes her place beside Nanu, gazing up at him with a rather pleased expression. She always liked reunions between trainers and their Pokémon. 

Once Siane regains her balance, Evren draws back to look over her companion; dark eyes glistening ever so slightly. Her feathers tremble as she makes loud, oscillating trills.

“Oh my girl, I’m really happy to see you too. Me? I’m fine, really.” she insists, smoothing a hand over the great bird’s fluffy coat while she wipes her tears with the other. “What about you? What are you doing here?”

Evren croons lowly and brushes her beak through Siane’s hair. 

“Carried me here?” She exclaims. She takes a moment to process the implications of that statement. “Without your saddle?” 

“She had her saddle on,” Nanu explains. “I put it away where the Meowth can’t play with it.” 

Siane looks between him and Evren, completely unable to comprehend it at first. She holds Evren’s firm gaze - dark irises assured and steady.

“Why would you do that, Ev?” She asks, now overtaken by concern. “We’ve done big flights but that’s… that’s insane?” 

Evren blinks her eyes slowly and makes a gentle warble. 

‘To protect you.’

Even Nanu senses the change in atmosphere. Siane is at a loss for words, staring at her Pokémon in vain hope for some deeper explanation that could never come. She lets out a deep breath and pulls her Fearow in for another hug. 

“Thank you Evren,” she murmurs. “I know you wouldn’t have done it if you didn’t have a good reason to.” 

Her words renew the twisting worry in Nanu’s gut. What could have possibly happened? He retrieves Siane’s bag from his desk as he tries to organise his thoughts. He wonders if Big Boss can suss out more answers from Evren; Pokémon communicate better between one another, after all. 

“Here,” Nanu says, holding out the leather bag as Siane pulls back from her Fearow. “She also brought this with her.” 

Siane is speechless. She looks like she can’t tell if she’s dreaming or not. She breaks from her reverie and takes her bag; anticipation riddling her features as she feels the weight of it. When she finds the Poké Balls inside, she’s all teary eyed again. Whether it's because there’s _only_ two - or that she has them at all - he doesn’t know. She sways. 

Nanu feels the tension in his arms as he readies to catch her, but fortunately for them both, Siane remains on her feet. He’s starting to think he’s let her have a little too much excitement too soon, but with how downcast she’s been...

“Is… is it alright if I let them out?” She asks tentatively; eyes searching his.

“Sure, so long as they’re smaller than her,” Nanu nods his head to Evren. “Space is gonna be quite the commodity otherwise.”

“My birds are big but Ev’s queen of the roost, aren’tcha, my girl?” Siane’s smile betrays how she’s barely keeping it together. Her Fearow squawks in agreement. 

White light flashes as Siane activates the Poké Balls. The energy beams strike out into the space between them and the station’s front door and the Pokémon begin to take shape. Nanu quickly identifies their silhouettes before they’ve even fully formed; a Skarmory and what looks to be a Dodrio. The three heads are a give away, but the body is more umbrella-shaped than the usual spherical he’s familiar with. When the light fades, he sees the Dodrio’s darkly coloured feathers - dusty browns and dark greys. A bright blue stripe runs across their cheeks and down the sides of their grey necks. Unlike the Dodrio he’s seen, all three heads have similar demeanours - softer, brighter eyes. Siane did say that Dodrio are different in Aedis. Her Skarmory is more or less the same as what he’s used to seeing - its metallic coat only a hint warmer in tone.

Finally freed from their containment, both birds are sluggish and somewhat confused - an indication they’ve been inactive for some time. They blink their eyes blearily at first, croaking and warbling tiredly between one another. However, once they see Siane, they shake off their sleepy stupor almost instantly; feathers raising and bodies stiffening. 

“Razor! Bongo!” Siane calls to them, her voice cracking; overwhelmed. Nanu steps back as the two birds cross the room - their bodies bumping into each other as they greet Siane with thrilled screeches. She’s practically crushed in an avian huddle, but her high, cheerful laughter assures him that she’s unharmed by their affections. “Alright you two, back up a little, you’re gonna knock me over at this rate!”

With some resistance the two Pokémon step back, but they chatter noisily. Bongo the Dodrio bobs his heads interchangeably as he chitters before the pair of outer heads begin fussing over Siane’s hair and clothes. Razor snaps his beak impatiently. 

“What’re they saying?” Nanu asks, unable to comprehend the discussion in the commotion. 

“They’ve been worried about me, asking if I’m alright...” Siane says while smoothing a hand over Razor’s shiny beak. She frowns as Bongo’s vocalisations continue. “Taka found you both?”

Razor nods solemnly and Bongo crows loudly. 

Nanu tilts his head at Siane. “Who’s Taka?” 

She blinks for a few seconds, still processing what her Pokémon have shared with her.

“A friend, and an Elite Trainer…” Siane explains. “Bongo says that I disappeared and the next thing they knew, Taka had found them - but only him and Razor… Now they’re here.”

Bongo and Razor confirm her translation with a cry. Siane laughs softly and wipes her eyes. 

“I’m glad you’re both here too...” She manages to wrap her arms around them both in a gentle embrace and they curl their necks around her in return. “This is just… one great big mess, isn’t it? But we’ll figure it out. We always do.”

It doesn’t show on her face, but there’s sadness in her voice and Nanu’s chest pinches with tightness. Before it can get any worse, he decides to excuse himself; she’s in good hands - or talons rather - for the meantime and he still needs to sort out where she’ll be sleeping.

“Why don’t you sit yourself down for a minute,” he suggests while habitually rubbing the back of his neck. “I gotta sort some stuff out back and you look like you could do with some time with your Pokémon.”

“I’d like that very much,” she agrees.

* * *

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading...
> 
> This ended up a lot more meatier than I anticipated, but I hope it's enjoyable nevertheless! Babygirl needed some of this, I think. I'm thinking of going through and adding some little illustrated embellishments to the story, but I'm not 100% sure. Let me know if you like seeing them!


End file.
